Oliver Wood and the Heritage Curse
by FlyGirlRhiannonRaaye
Summary: Formerly known as just "Oliver Wood." Everyone's favorite quidditch captain, with the help of some other minor characters, solves a mystery that impacts several generations of Hogwarts families.
1. In Which Oliver Discovers His Fan Club

Oliver Wood surveyed the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry quidditch field. The sun was still inching its way above the still lake and he had to be in Muggle Studies in fifteen minutes, but he had been aching to see the field. He had followed Percy Weasley half way to breakfast before ducking behind a coat of arms to lose the chattering prefect and fellow seventh year student. Out here, zooming through the air on his Nimbus 2000, throbbing with concentration, sweaty, heart pounding, almost dizzy with exhilaration was how he wanted to be. Oliver thrived on Quidditch and felt physically and emotionally drained by almost every other task at Hogwarts.  
  
"Gotta get the team out as soon as possible," he mumbled, babbling out loud as he always did when he was alone. Straightening his black class robe, Oliver walked into the center of the field and closed his deep brown eyes, feeling the cool breeze on his face. In a moment the breeze seemed to pick up speed, streaming through his hair and making his robe billow. "We have to win the cup this year, we have to win the cup this year . . ." he repeated, gradually saying it louder and louder. Suddenly Oliver heard a thud behind him and he jumped, jolting out of his daydream. The wind slowed again, his breathing steadied, and he pivoted carefully to see what was there.  
  
"Sorry," the girl said, climbing clumsily back on her ratty broom. "I've never been good at landings." She shrugged, examining Oliver with an unsettlingly demure expression on her face. She seemed unshakably in control, causing Oliver to blush. He hated the thought that someone had seen him out on the field alone, muttering to himself like a prisoner in Azkaban. He hated confident people - they only made his awkwardness more obvious.  
  
"I, uh, I . . . that's okay," he finally managed to say, staring at the air next to her head.  
  
"Lovely," she replied. A quick smile flashed on her lips, not changing her composed features at all, and then she kicked off from the ground yelling "See you around!" as her broom jerked into the air.  
  
She looked vaguely familiar to Oliver, but he didn't know a lot of people. He knew the names of maybe two thirds of the people in his year, and a smattering of those in the six years below him. She wasn't on any of the quidditch teams, unless she was new to one this year. He watched her fly, and knew immediately that she couldn't be a quidditch player. Her flying was frightening - she stopped and started so frequently that she must get sick in a matter of minutes. Oliver couldn't watch her because it made him dizzy, but he felt like he should stay around just in case she fell off her wild broom. Suddenly, though, he remembered Muggle Studies. With one last glance at the out-of-control broom he began to run, his long cape flailing behind him.  
  
After dinner that same evening, Oliver hunched over the long Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, talking with Percy and his girlfriend, Penelope. Since it was the first day of classes, many students lingered in Great Hall, chatting, playing games, and trying simple spells. Penelope and Percy were playing Wizard Chess and chattering incessantly with each other and sometimes at Oliver.  
  
"Cedric Diggory, eh?" Oliver asked, transforming the tiny team members in his magical miniature Quidditch set to the seven members of the Hufflepuff team.  
  
"Yeah, apparently he joined the team at the end of last term because they lost their captain - he went off to work at the Ministry of Magic. I'm already looking for a position there too, even though it's only the beginning of the term . . ." Percy rattled on while the miniscule figure of Cedric Diggory buzzed around Oliver's head like an oversized hornet.  
  
Oliver grabbed the mock Cedric and placed him on the realistic grass of the Quidditch field. The figure waved his broom at Oliver indignantly, triggering one of Oliver's trademark smiles. The smiles lasted only a second, brightening his distanced but handsome features. At his smiles girls swooned because it meant he had actually noticed them, the Gryffindor Quidditch team sighed with relief because it meant he was actually pleased with them, and guys felt a sudden desire to punch him for reasons they never understood. Oliver noticed none of this.  
  
"Well, I don't know what they think they're doing making a sixth year seeker," he finally replied when Cedric began to zoom carelessly around the field, searching for the non-existent snitch.  
  
Percy and Penelope didn't respond because Penelope had just won their game of Wizard Chess and they were teasing each other, poking and tickling and smiling in an exclusive way. Oliver turned away from them, uncomfortable again. He sometimes managed to settle into a state of friendly comfort around Percy, but now that Penelope was around he rarely felt settled around them. Luckily, he was saved by Fred and George Weasley.  
  
"Can't you at least go find a wardrobe or something to do that in?" Fred asked Percy as he hopped up on the table and plopped down, nearly crushing his tiny Quidditch model counterpart that had escaped onto the tabletop. "Hey, it's me!" He exclaimed, picking up the figure and examining it.  
  
"For your information," Percy said in a snooty voice, "We are not doing anything inappropriate . . ."  
  
"Right," George broke in, searching for the figure of himself among the Quidditch players cruising around the field. "And Professor Snape isn't a . . ."  
  
"Now, now," Percy stopped his brother before he could bless them all with his description of Snape. "There are ladies present."  
  
Fred and George snorted simultaneously, but Penelope gave Percy an endearing smile.  
  
"It's not that we have anything against you, Penelope . . ." Fred explained.  
  
"It's just that we don't understand why you would want to touch someone as slimy as Percy." George finished, then turned to Oliver before Percy could protest. "You starting in on Quidditch strategies already, Wood?"  
  
The miniature Wood dashed in maddening streaks in front of the quill-sized goal posts while the real Wood shrugged. "Never too early. Just trying to find out about the teams."  
  
"Well, I'll tell you what strategies we can use," Fred said, changing the frantic Hufflepuff players into glaring, nasty Slytherin players.  
  
"They're even mean when they're little," George commented.  
  
"So we'll smash them!" Fred steered his player next to Marcus Flint and knocked him on the head with his beater. Marcus fell to the ground, but jumped up seconds later.  
  
"Oh, that won't do!" George exclaimed and his player landed next to the dazed Marcus and whacked him in the leg with his beater.  
  
Oliver left the twins to their torturing and glanced at Percy and Penelope out of the corner of his eye. Percy was rolling his eyes at his brothers but Penelope was unsuccessfully trying to conceal a smile.  
  
"If you really want to know the news about Quidditch teams, you have to hear about Ravenclaw's team this year," Penelope told Oliver with a proud smile. Oliver raised his eyes, a gesture almost as pulse-quickening as his smiles. Even Penelope was not immune to his innocent charm and faltered before replying. Percy felt the slightest impulse to smash Wood in the face, but it quickly passed.  
  
"We have a new beater this year, and she's a girl." Penelope's face lit up with pride.  
  
"A girl beater!" George shouted and he and Fred quickly transformed the mini Quidditch players into Ravenclaws' team.  
  
"Where is she?" Fred demanded, examining the players.  
  
"Since we don't know who she is you won't be able to make her yet," Oliver explained.  
  
"Well who is she?!" It seemed as if both the twins were assaulting Penelope at the same time and Percy held his hands up to guard her. Penelope pulled one of Percy's arms around her shoulders so she could face the twins.  
  
"Her name is Emma Baxter and she's in my dormitory," she explained. "I know her!" As soon as George said it one of the players slowly began to form into Emma. Oliver watched the transformation and knew long before it finished that it was the crazy flyer from that morning. Her eyes, though tiny, were the same eyes that had rested annoyingly in the back of his mind all day. He hadn't noticed them when he had talked with her briefly on the Quidditch field, but after he'd been in Muggle Studies for five minutes they began to haunt him. Emma's eyes were astonishingly dark; they didn't seem to have any color at all, simply to be piercing pools of liquefied night sky. The small Emma was now plunging down and snapping up like a fishing line being cast over and over as she tried to make her way around the field. George and Fred were laughing at her, but Penelope looked upset.  
  
"Emma tries to fly," she told Oliver with a sigh. "But she's never quite been able to get it down. She'd be an excellent beater if she could just sort out this flying problem."  
  
"No spell could make her a good flier!" George said triumphantly.  
  
Percy growled at him and both the twins were quiet for once. "You should talk to her,"  
  
Percy suggested to Oliver, pointing to a figure across the room. "She really needs someone who can help her."  
  
Oliver studied Emma, sitting by herself on the other side of the room and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "What am I going to say, though?" he asked, not meaning to voice the question out loud.  
  
"Just offer to help her," Percy said and Penelope nodded emphatically.  
  
"I don't know . . ." It took Percy, Penelope, George, and Fred fifteen minutes to convince Oliver to go talk to Emma, but eventually he gave in just to get away from their pestering.  
  
"This is crazy," Oliver murmured to himself as he slowly approached Emma. "I don't just walk up to people I don't know and talk to them. You have to be friendly in order to do that and I am not friendly." He took a deep breath trying to calm down and stop talking to himself. The last thing he needed was for her to think he was crazy even before he actually said anything to her. Had he even managed a coherent sentence that morning? He couldn't remember. He'd tried to block out the short conversation because it embarrassed him, but it was impossible to block out those eyes.  
  
As he got closer to her he noticed that she wasn't just sitting dejectedly by herself, she was intent on cleaning a series of wounds scattered all over her body. Oliver winced - she must have fallen several times that morning, although even one major crash on or from a broomstick could make you look like you'd lost a very violent magic duel, as Oliver knew from experience.  
  
A three-inch gash marked Emma's right leg underneath her bruised knee and tiny cuts dotted both her arms, but her face looked the most painful. Oliver guessed that the metal bindings on her broom were loose and had slashed her across the mouth when she fell. The cut stretched from next to her left eye to the center of her chin, slitting her lips on the way. One black eye suggested that the broom had also smacked her in the face. Emma was roughly scrubbing the gash on her leg with a cloth that reddened more every second.  
  
"Did you just walk around with these injuries all day?" Oliver asked her, too shocked to wonder where the words came from.  
  
Emma jumped, her face clenching in pain as she looked up at him. "Maybe. What do you care?"  
  
Oliver, startled by her brashness, lost his short burst of confidence. "Sorry, I, well, I just wanted to make sure you were okay," and turned to leave.  
  
"No, wait," Emma beckoned him back and Oliver looked at her hesitantly. "I'm sorry, it's just that this bloody stuff hurts so badly." She indicated a bottle on the table and Oliver picked it up, examining the label. "Madame Pomfrey gave it to me. It's some crazy new magic healing potion. It should guarantee that I don't get any infections but it stings something fierce."  
  
Oliver set the bottle down again and shyly sat down next to her. "I always seem to be unconscious when they use this type of stuff on me," he commented with a quick smile.  
  
"Yeah . . ." For a second her face lost its controlled expression, but she quickly regained it. It was, of course, the smile that caused her to falter. "To answer your question," she said, turning away from his powerful facial features, "Yes, I walked around like this all day, without treatment."  
  
"Why?" Oliver asked as he watched her run her fingers over the long scab that was already forming over the gash on her leg. "Because I had to go to Potions." That was all she said in the way of explanation and Oliver decided that was enough. "I'll get some pretty impressive scars out of the deal though," she added with an amused smile.  
  
"Got a few of those myself from Quidditch," Oliver offered. She didn't look at him because she knew he was smiling.  
  
"Would you mind putting this stuff on my face for me?" she asked after she decided it was safe to look at him again.  
  
"Uh, sure," Oliver complied. She handed him the rag and he performed a quick spell to make it clean again. "That's better." He poured some of the potion on the cloth and carefully dabbed it against the part of the cut near her eye. "I'm Oliver Wood, by the way." "I know that," she replied. Her captivating eyes were squeezed tightly shut but otherwise she showed no signs of pain. "It's pretty hard not to know who you are."  
  
"Eh, I'm not that well known around here. I'm no Harry Potter." Oliver never liked to think that people were watching him all the time just because he was a quidditch captain. It was too scary a thought.  
  
"Ok, suit yourself," Emma complied. She knew that there was not a female at Hogwarts that didn't know who Oliver Wood was and didn't watch his every move. She was quiet for a moment as Oliver gently pressed the cloth to her lips.  
  
"Tell me if it hurts, or if you taste any of this nasty stuff." But Emma said nothing, her eyes still closed, but more lightly now. Oliver wanted her to open them so he could examine them up close. But as soon as he said he was finished cleaning the cut she got up, turning away from him.  
  
"It's really getting late. I should get going. Thanks for helping me out." The control and composure were back in her voice and on her face.  
  
"Bye," Oliver said, not sure if she heard him as she walked away.  
  
Oliver sat for a moment, baffled by his encounter with Emma. He didn't know what to make of her - she was friendly, then aloof, then friendly again - it was much too complicated for him to figure out. He didn't like dealing with people in this way, playing games and trying to interpret expressions and gestures. Relationships should be straight forward, but since they tended not to be, Oliver avoided them. He put thoughts of Emma aside, deciding, as usual, to focus on quidditch.  
  
He remembered suddenly that he had left the miniature quidditch set with the Weasley twins. Afraid of what they might have done to the little players, Oliver sprinted back to the Gryffindor table. Percy, Penelope, the Weasley twins, and the quidditch set were gone. Hopefully, Oliver thought, Percy had wrestled the set away from the twins and brought it back safely to their dormitory. Percy tended to look out for Oliver when he was preoccupied with an upcoming quidditch match or simply having one of his frequent absent-minded moments.  
  
Oliver scanned the Great Hall, trying to decide if it really was late enough to go to bed. There were still quite a few people around, including Professor Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, who was demonstrating something for a large group of students huddled around the Hufflepuff table. Cedric Diggory was one of them, and Oliver examined the new quidditch captain. He still didn't think Diggory was a good choice for seeker, but he was probably an excellent choice for captain. Hufflepuff might actually be competition this year, Oliver said to himself.  
  
Cedric, he noticed, was flocked by girls. Even among a large gathering of people it was easy to tell that five or six girls were simply there to be near Cedric. This was always the case for the handsome sixth year. The girls followed him like doting fans, bringing him whatever he wanted, giggling at everything he said, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Cedric tolerated it and never took advantage of them but he didn't really appreciate his constantly present admirers.  
  
After watching Cedric and the beaming girls for a few minutes Oliver realized, quite suddenly, that he too had female followers. He often noticed that when he turned around abruptly for one reason or another a cluster of girls, usually first to third years, would scatter, giggling profusely. In the past he had never thought about it long enough to realize that they were following him. Very, very slowly Oliver pivoted around, wondering if he could catch a glimpse of the girls who were undoubtedly there before they disappeared. He made eye contact with one little second year who shrieked, sending the little pack of four into a frenzy. In a few minutes they would regroup.  
  
Stunned, Oliver stumbled over to where the three Gryffindor quidditch team chasers were sitting. Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, and Alicia Spinnet eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"Are you going to bother us about quidditch already?" Alicia grumbled.  
  
Oliver just shook his head and said "Are they always around me?"  
  
Alicia, alarmed by his baffling question, patted him on the head and peered into his eyes.  
  
"You ok, Wood?" she questioned. "Take a bludger to the head already?"  
  
Oliver rolled his eyes at Alicia while Angelina giggled.  
  
"He's talking about his fan club," Katie explained, using her head to indicate the young girls whispering together about ten feet away from Oliver.  
  
Oliver raised his eyebrows at her appreciatively and smiled, forcing Katie to brace her hands against the bottom of the table so she wouldn't jump up and hug him.  
  
"Ooooh, his fan club," Angelina was saying teasingly while Alicia nodded knowingly.  
  
"Yeah, they're always there," Angelina informed him.  
  
"Why?" Oliver asked and all three girls began laughing. Katie regained her composure first and replied coolly, "Let me explain something to you, Wood. You are not a bad-looking guy and you have a wicked accent. Girls follow you around for about the first three years they're at Hogwarts until they realize that you're not going to notice them. I think you've broken the hearts of half this bloody school."  
  
Angelina and Alicia starting laughing again but Katie remained quiet. Although Angelina and Alicia had managed to build up a kind of immunity to Oliver over the years, Katie had not. She lied to her fellow chasers and said that yes, he was gorgeous, but no, she was no longer attracted to him. He was still gorgeous to her, but her attractions had only faded slightly. Like the dent a drip of water makes in a rock over a period of time, maybe she would one day stop liking him. In the meantime she tried to do her best to keep it under control. Nothing was going to happen anyway.  
  
"You're a rock," Alicia told Oliver, finally able to control her laughter. "When you show no signs of even caring that they're there the girls eventually give up on you. Then they start chasing after Diggory," she finished with a smile.  
  
"Really." Oliver was still shocked. He didn't know what to do with this information. He glanced from Alicia to Angelina to Katie who were now all straight-faced. Katie winced slightly when he looked at her. She thought, like many other girls, that his frozenness only made him more attractive. Oliver was a beautiful and unattainable mystery. It was hard not to want that.  
  
"Well, I, uh, I think I'm going to go to bed now." Oliver got up, trying very hard to think about quidditch. For the first time in six years, this tactic failed him.  
  
"Goodnight Wood!" Angelina and Alicia chorused. Katie watched him walk away with his steady, concentrated stride. She was more confused than ever.  
  
**  
  
Emma examined the painful cut on her face in the large mirror in her Ravenclaw dormitory. She sat with her wounded leg stretched out in front of her, leaning against Penelope's bed.  
  
"Ow, ow!" she exclaimed touching the slit part of her lips. She had concentrated while Oliver was cleaning the slash and managed not to cry out although it felt like he was pouring an itching potion in it. He had been very gentle and she allowed herself to be preoccupied with the feel of his fingers brushing her lips since it kept her distracted from the pain. At the time it had only been a device to keep her from showing pain but the fact that she could still feel his touch was beginning to worry her.  
  
"Oh bloody hell," she muttered to herself. She was not in second year anymore - her Oliver Wood days were over, end of story.  
  
"What are you mumbling about?" Penelope asked, coming into the room.  
  
"Nothing," Emma replied, hoisting herself up awkwardly onto her injured leg. "Nothing at all."  
  
Penelope flopped down on her bed while Emma hobbled across the room. In the morning even the deep gash on her leg would be only a scar.  
  
"Did you have a nice talk with Oliver Wood?" Penelope asked, trying to be coy.  
  
Emma spun around and peered at her suspiciously. "Did you have something to do with him coming over to talk to me?"  
  
Penelope brushed her thick red hair nonchalantly, examining a picture of Percy next to her bed. "Mmmm . . . maybe."  
  
"Bugger, Penelope! What did you have to do that for? I don't need his help!" Emma also pulled out a brush, ripping the bristles through her red- blonde, shoulder-length hair. Emma was stunning, not so much because she was beautiful as because she had such unusual looks. Her eyes, of course, shocked everyone, and tended to detract from her unusually dark skin, surprisingly smooth hair, and faint dimples. People were constantly astounded by Emma's looks, discovering one feature at a time and finding themselves preoccupied with that single feature for months. Oliver would actually move on to her nose when he recovered from his obsession with her eyes.  
  
"Well, if he's experienced that temper of your's he's not going to want to help you anyway," Penelope said matter-of-factly, watching her little picture of Percy as it waved and blew her kisses.  
  
Emma sighed. She fell backwards on her bed and stared at the ceiling until her frustration calmed. "It's not that I don't want his help, it's that I don't want to need help. Do you know any other sixth years who can't fly?"  
  
"Well, no. But Oliver is a nice guy. He's not going to make fun of you and he could teach you a lot. Besides, he could use some friends."  
  
Maybe he doesn't want friends, Emma thought. But out loud she said, "Okay. If I see him tomorrow I will ask him."  
  
"Brilliant!" Penelope replied, waving at Percy as he walked out of the picture. I'll just have to try not to see him tomorrow, Emma decided as she lay in bed trying to sleep an hour later. And I can just learn to fly by myself.  
  
**  
  
"Ok, out with it," Angelina demanded. Katie sat on the floor of the Gryffindor fifth year dormitory while Angelina sat on the bed above her, struggling with Katie's troublesome hair. Normally Katie's hair defied control but Angelina was practicing braiding it so that they could get it out of the way for quidditch matches.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Katie asked innocently, looking up from "Caring For Injured Dragons," an enormous book propped open on her crossed legs. Angelina dropped Katie's hair with a frustrated exclamation and started a new braid.  
  
"Well, you've been sullen and quiet ever since our talk with Oliver. And you haven't turned a page in ten minutes," she pointed out.  
  
"Hey, I'm absorbing this. It's not exactly light reading. 'If the dragon suffers an internal burn there is very little that can be done . . .'" Angelina tugged on Katie's hair to make her stop reading.  
  
"Ouch!" Katie exclaimed. "That was not necessary."  
  
"Yes it was," Angelina replied, once again letting go of Katie's hair. "Now put the book down and look at me."  
  
Katie closed the thick book and dropped it on the floor. It made a loud "thud" that echoed around the tall dormitory. She turned hesitantly to face Angelina, not looking her friend in the eyes.  
  
"Katie, it can't be that bad. You can tell me," Angelina prodded her. The two had been best friends since first year. Although they often spent time with Alicia who was a year younger than them, they were known around Hogwarts as a twosome.  
  
Katie hesitated, playing with the ends of her hair that now hung down over her knees, hugged tightly to her chest. "I know this is crazy and stupid, but I still like Oliver. It's not that even want to," she rushed on, anxious to explain herself before Angelina could say anything. "I don't even really think that we would be a good couple. I mean, I've watched him for three years now on the quidditch team and I can't stand his desire to be in control of everything and his bloody tempermentalness, and his inability to connect with people. But at the same time I'm really attracted to him and I wish he would let me be his friend at least." Katie beat her head against the bed until Angelina grabbed her on both sides of her head and forced her to stop.  
  
"I figured it was something like this," Angelina said with an empathetic smile. "I think you have more patience with him than Alicia and I do. We get so frustrated with him during practice sometimes that we don't even notice anymore that he's gorgeous. But you have a bigger heart. You are sensitive to people's needs and want to help them. Oliver won't let you help him and I have to wonder if that's what's really bothering you. Maybe you don't fancy him so much as want to befriend him."  
  
Katie shook her head slowly, shocked at Angelina's truthful assessment of her deeper feelings. "What I fear is that I want to befriend him so that I can feel good about myself rather than because it will be better for him," she explained, surprised at the words even as she said them.  
  
Angelina nodded. "Well, then at least you are being honest with yourself. Look, it's getting late and you are going to wear yourself out thinking about him. Let's go to sleep and we can talk more about it in the morning."  
  
Katie smiled mischievously. "This conversation was getting way too psychological anyway. Let's have some real girl talk."  
  
"Cedric Diggory?" Angelina asked with a knowing smile.  
  
"Definitely," Katie replied, and both girls began to giggle uncontrollably.  
  
When their three roommates came into the room a few minutes later the two chasers were still giggling and talking about Cedric. When the three newcomers learned the subject of their laughter it launched a gossip session about cute Hogwarts boys that lasted late into the night. By 1:30 in the morning Katie had so many new crush ideas that Oliver had been pushed to the back of her mind. 


	2. In Which a Friendship Grows

The next morning Oliver once again escaped from Percy on the way to breakfast and headed for the quidditch field. On his way through Hogwarts he made a few twists and turns, ducking into dark hallways or behind statues, just to make sure that he lost his fan club on the way out. He had no idea how ridiculous he looked, but at one point Katie witnessed him looking over his shoulder like a pursued convict and then dodging behind a statue of an old headmaster, and thought he looked quite strange.  
  
"What is he doing?" she asked Angelina, who shrugged.  
  
"I don't know, and we're just going to keep moving." Angelina steered her away from Oliver but she watched him over her shoulder until Angelina turned them around a corner.  
  
Oliver made it out the front entrance free of followers (who decided to hang around Cedric Diggory until their true love appeared again) and sprinted to the quidditch field. After sitting up half the night trying to sort through the Gryffindor chasers' enlightenments he had finally decided that the best thing to do would be to throw himself even harder into quidditch. That morning he planned to work on some new plays to use against that pretty boy, Cedric Diggory, and then that night the team would begin practice.  
  
Oliver stared intently at the three goals on the south side of the field, thinking about the differences that a bigger and stronger seeker would bring to a game of quidditch. He had finally decided on a few things that would help Harry have an advantage over Cedric when a bludger whizzed past his head, almost smashing his right ear.  
  
"What the?!" Oliver looked around frantically trying to see where the bludger had come from as well as to avoid being smacked by it in case it came back.  
  
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" a female voice exclaimed. Oliver spun around and saw Emma hurtling towards him.  
  
"I was behind that tree over there and I couldn't see you . . . oh, Wood, it's you." Emma halted a few feet away from him. She was carrying a beater in her left hand and now searched the sky instead of looking at Wood. "Really, I didn't know anyone was out here."  
  
"Don't worry about," Oliver stuttered. "Did you say you were behind that tree?" He pointed to a tree that looked tiny because it was so far away.  
  
"Yeah," Emma confirmed, not checking to see where he was pointing. The bludger was plummeting back towards them and she lifted her beater.  
  
"But that's brilliant! Not even the Weasley twins could hit a bludger that far! Where did you learn to do that?" Oliver was still gazing at the tree and didn't notice the bludger spiraling towards his head.  
  
"Watch out!" Emma yelled. Oliver spun around just in time to see her smash the bludger with her beater. He stared at her, mouth open. "You are a wicked beater."  
  
Emma smiled faintly. "Be careful, it's going to come back in a second. This one has it in for you." Oliver watched, and the bludger did indeed come tumbling down heading straight towards his head for a third time. This time Emma knocked it more lightly, and on the return fall caught it with both arms. The impact of the feisty bludger knocked her to the ground.  
  
"Go get my box - it's over there by the tree," Emma demanded as she struggled to hold the wildly vibrating bludger. Oliver retrieved the box as quickly as he could, dropped it on the ground next to Emma, and opened the lid so she could secure the spirited bludger inside it. "I think it knew you were on the opposing team. I'm going to get a bruise from that one. Just as the others were starting to heal, too." Emma's wounds were now barely visible scars, and probably as well healed as they were going to be. Oliver offered her a hand to help her up but she pretended not to see and got up by herself.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry about that," Emma said, picking up the box of Hufflepuff's quidditch balls. "I guess I'll see you around," she started to walk away but Oliver called out,  
  
"Wait! Aren't you going to tell me how you learned to do that?"  
  
Emma stopped. She knew that if she told him he would looked confused, which would be adorable, then he would look surprised, which would be endearing, and then he would be amazed and surely he would smile which might convince her to ask him for help with flying. No, this is ridiculous, I can handle this, she said to herself and slowly turned back around.  
  
"Baseball," she said. Oliver looked baffled and it was absolutely adorable. Oh no, this is not good, Emma thought. "It's a muggle sport," she explained, wincing as his eyebrows started to rise. "I have American muggle cousins who I play with every summer." "Oh yeah. I think I heard about that in Muggle Studies." Emma had been wrong - he looked intrigued rather than amazed, but it was equally attractive. "The Great American Pastime," Oliver said with relish and Emma couldn't help but smile at him.  
  
"Yes, that it is," Emma agreed, holding back her laughter. "In short, a big part of baseball involves hitting balls with a bat - that's similar to a beater. So that is why I am a good beater. Except for that whole flying thing." Emma peered down at her feet. She hadn't meant to say anything about her bad flying.  
  
"Well, if you wanted, and of course you don't have to agree if you don't want to, because it's not that I don't think you can do it on your own, but if you do want it, I could help you." Oliver examined his hands, too embarrassed to look at her. Why had he suggested it? Just because she was such a good beater?  
  
Emma was stunned. This was an unexpected turn. Unsure of how else to respond she said, "Sure, yeah. Thanks. I'll talk to you later then." Quickly she left, half-running back towards the castle.  
  
Oliver stood on the quidditch field for a moment completely confused by what had happened. Then slowly he began to walk, no longer thinking about new quidditch strategies or Cedric Diggory or his newly discovered fan club. What have I gotten myself into, he wondered.  
  
It took Percy and Penelope two days to set up a meeting time for the hesitant Emma and perplexed Oliver. Since Emma was too stubborn to talk to Oliver, and Oliver was too embarrassed to talk to Emma, messages passed from Oliver to Percy to Penelope to Emma and then back again. Sometimes, to move things along more quickly, Percy and Penelope would change the message.  
  
"She says she doesn't care what time they meet," Penelope would tell Percy.  
  
"Okay, she says she wants to meet in the evening, but definitely not on Tuesday," Percy would tell Oliver. By this system they finally agreed to have Emma's first flying lesson on Wednesday night.  
  
On Wednesday evening Penelope spent half an hour convincing Emma to go to the lesson. Finally, at the end of her patience, she exclaimed "Good grief! Most of the girls in this school would be ecstatic to be in your place! This is Oliver Wood! Just go and stop stalling. He's cute, he's nice, he can help you - you're not going to get another offer like this one." Emma had never seen Penelope so frustrated, and feeling properly chastised for being so stubborn, went outside to the quidditch field.  
  
Oliver was already there. He had magicked several quaffles to fly at the goal and blocked each one expertly. Emma watched him, amazed, as he spun in several circles, blocking a quaffle while upside down. Emma's stomach lurched and she braced the bottom of her broom against the ground to keep herself from running away. Determined to take control of the situation Emma yelled "Wood! Wood get down here! I don't have all night!"  
  
Startled, Oliver looked over at her and a quaffle nearly smacked him in the head. Oliver landed, cast a spell to bring the magicked quaffles down to the ground, and slowly approached Emma. He was sweaty, but even with his short brown hair ruffled and damp he was adorable. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you. Every time I'm anywhere near you something is flying at my head."  
  
Emma winced, but Oliver smiled and laughed. "I'm just kidding. Don't worry about it." On the quidditch field Oliver was completely in control. No one from the team, no professor, no girl could shake him when he was practicing quidditch.  
  
Emma felt light-headed when he laughed and smiled. Oliver was like a drug, tranquilizing her into submission. That moment was the beginning of their friendship.  
  
"First of all, let me get a look at your broom." Oliver took Emma's broom carefully, trying to avoid getting splinters from the wood peeling off the sides, and they walked a few feet to where he had set his broom-cleaning kit. He flopped down on the ground but Emma hovered above him, aloof as usual.  
  
He began to clip off the smaller pieces of cracked wood and magically adhere the bigger pieces. "I'm going to do a little repair work and if you watch you'll be able to do this by yourself later," Oliver explained. "This is just a simple spell. Any time your broom gets chipped you can use it to fix the chip." Emma nodded. "Where did you get this broom anyway?" Oliver asked, expertly smoothing down a particularly large splinter.  
  
"It was actually passed down through my family, for who knows how many years." Emma smiled knowingly to herself. "My family is big on tradition, almost ridiculously so."  
  
Oliver raised his eyes with interest. "Really. Well I don't want to put your family down but I have to wonder if the problem is the broom and not you. Have you considered that it might be cursed?"  
  
"What? No, it can't be." Emma narrowed her eyes in doubt. She had been pacing behind Oliver but now she crouched in front of him and peered at the top of his head. "I think you've been letting Defense Against the Dark Arts get to your head."  
  
Oliver looked up from her broom and directly into her penetrating eyes and had to drop his head back down, unable to hold her intense gaze. He finally smiled, shaking his head and laughing, and looked at her again. "I may be a little overly enthusiastic about Defense Against the Dark Arts sometimes - it is one of the only subjects that I like - but I'm serious. I think there's something wrong with this broom." After seeing him smile at such close range and so directly at her, Emma would have taken a deadly curse on his behalf. So when Oliver suggested that she use his broom during their practices and ask her parents for a new one, Emma agreed with fairly little convincing.  
  
"Good," Oliver said, smiling at her again. Emma now began to find his smile contagious and felt giddy whenever he gave her even the slightest grin. "I'm going to push these wires back down now, then polish the handle and you should be good to go. Even if you don't use it, at least you can return it to your mum and dad in good condition."  
  
Emma nodded, watching him carefully press the wires back down. "Be careful," she warned him. "Those wires hurt a lot when they cut you."  
  
Oliver glanced at the faint scar on her face and smiled sympathetically. "With the way you handled those wounds I don't think anything could take you out of a quidditch match."  
  
For the first time in her conversations with Oliver, Emma blushed. Oliver was looking down and didn't notice, but Emma jumped up anyway, paranoid that he would see.  
  
"Well, Davies doesn't agree with you," she said with obvious disgust.  
  
"You know, that's something that's been bothering me. Why won't that obstinate captain of your's help you? If you were on my team I would be out here with you every day." Oliver scowled, displaying his disgust with the Ravenclaw team captain.  
  
Emma rolled her eyes. "Yeah well, would you want someone who can't fly on your team?"  
  
"Well . . . if they were the best person for the position," Oliver decided.  
  
"I don't know if I'm the best but Davies doesn't want me. You know Cho Chang?" Emma asked and Oliver nodded. Cho, Ravenclaw's new seeker, was a pretty fourth year. "She convinced Davies to let me on the team because he worships the ground she walks on. Davies really didn't want me."  
  
"Why?" Oliver asked as he pulled out a bottle of "extra-sticky finishing polish" and began to polish the handle of Emma's broom. "By the way, this stuff will help you stay on your broom."  
  
Emma nodded and let out a heavy breath, trying to control her temper. "Why doesn't Davies like me . . . let's see. I learned to be a beater from muggles, I've never played serious quidditch before, my mom is a muggle, and I'm a girl. Need any other reasons?" She ground her teeth together and clenched her fists, taking several short breaths. Oliver gently set her broom aside and jumped up, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up something that would make you so angry." He smoothed her hair back and Emma inhaled deeply, holding her breath for a moment and then releasing it steadily.  
  
"Sorry," she said quietly, suddenly aware of how close he was to her. Emma didn't really have any close friends and therefore no one who would take the time to talk with her like this. Penelope and some of the other girls would have been willing to, but Emma never let them get very close to her. She now wished that she had some more friends and, what frightened her more, that she could ask Oliver for a hug. "I, uh, didn't mean to go on about him like that," she pulled away from Oliver's hands that still rested on her shoulders.  
  
Oliver suddenly realized what he had been doing and, embarrassed, ducked his head. "Don't let him bother you. Davies doesn't know what he's talking about. None of those things should matter when it comes to quidditch. If you're a good player then nothing should get in the way of you playing. Especially having a muggle parent. Now, let's get to work and show that conceited captain what he's missing."  
  
Emma was grateful that he'd ended the awkward moment. Maybe if he moved away from her she would stop feeling like hugging him. For the next hour Oliver guided Emma back through the basics of flying. Using Oliver's Nimbus 2000 for practice, Emma began to show improvement already by the end of the lesson. However, as they walked back to Hogwarts together she still wanted him to hug her.  
  
Over the following month Emma's flying improved dramatically. By late September she had reached the status of a regular third year flyer, at least when the weather was good. Hoping to fully prepare her for the first Ravenclaw quidditch match, no matter what the weather conditions might happen to be, Oliver pushed their two day a week one hour sessions to three hours. On the other days he was holding Gryffindor team practice, leaving only enough non-class time to do his homework. He was the last person left in the Gryffindor common room on most nights but, fueled by quidditch, he never felt strained or tired - except in some of his more boring classes. With so much going on he forgot about his intention to examine Emma's broom for curses. He was suddenly reminded of it on the last Friday of September when he was headed to the quidditch field for Gryffindor practice.  
  
Emma came barreling across the hallway and almost slammed into him. "Wood! Sorry! But I had to tell you!" she exclaimed.  
  
Oliver stared at her, blinking his eyes several times in his bafflement. "You weren't even this excited the first time you hit a bludger while flying. What's going on?" he asked.  
  
Emma was very uncharacteristically bouncing up and down, her voice loud and animated. "My parents said that I could get a new broom! They're going to send it to me a week before our first match. It took me forever to convince them to let me get one but I told them how much progress I was making and they finally agreed to buy one. You have no idea what a breakthrough this is - it was so strange how they refused to let that old broom go. But it doesn't matter now because I'm getting a new one!" she jumped up and down several times like an overexcited fan at the World Quidditch Cup. Oliver couldn't help but laugh at her.  
  
"That's great!" he finally managed to say. "But that can't possibly be the only thing that's making you so excited. What happened? Did Davies leave and make you captain?"  
  
Emma looked around at everything except Oliver, obviously trying to hide something. "Emma . . ." Oliver said, dragging her name out in his quidditch captain voice. "What did you do?"  
  
Emma giggled - Oliver had never even heard a sound that even vaguely resembled this high-pitched noise come out of serious, controlled Emma Baxter. "Well," she began, chewing on a the end of one of her short pigtails, "Penelope just got this huge box of candy from Percy - it has everything in it: Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizbees, toffees, nougat - you name it. I may have eaten a bit too much. But I was excited and I wanted to celebrate."  
  
Oliver smiled at her affectionately, trying not to start laughing again. "I never would have thought the day would come . . ." he trailed off. "Well I think that you, silly girl, need to go run around outside."  
  
"Okay!" Emma took off, sprinting ahead of Oliver, and escaped through the front door. Her unusual candy-induced behavior would shortly startle a group of professors holding a meeting close to the front entrance, the Weasley twins on their way to practice, Harry, Ron, and Hermione who were lying in the grass by the lake, and Cedric Diggory who was talking to Cho Chang while his followers scowled from a few feet away. Only 24 hours later Emma would deny the entire episode, but it came back many times to haunt her in her last two years at Hogwarts.  
  
Emma and Oliver's friendship had grown at an almost unnoticeable rate, much like Emma's flying progress. A month of occasional chats during Emma's intense flying lessons, smiles exchanged during passes in the hallway and waves across the dining hall had slowly led to long discussions on the quidditch field after lessons, walks together to classes, and sitting back- to-back during meals. Oliver hadn't had enough time to think about this change, but he knew that he was more comfortable with her than he was with most people. Emma thought about their friendship more frequently, but had decided not to worry about what it meant. She was also trying to become better friends with some of the girls she knew - hence the candy intoxication brought on by Penelope's chocolates. The biggest change was not between Emma and Oliver themselves, but among Hogwarts students in general. When Oliver smiled girls now felt angry because his smiles were almost always directed at Emma, guys were happy because it meant that he was out of the way, and the Gryffindor quidditch team was still relieved because it still meant that he was actually pleased with them.  
  
Katie noticed the change in Emma and Oliver's relationship more than anyone, but she kept it to herself. During the day she kept herself busy with homework and classes, but it was impossible to avoid Oliver at quidditch practices. As usual, he turned into a raving lunatic during practice. Nonetheless, after every practice Katie tumbled into bed, aching, dirty, sweaty, head pounding, but still overwhelmed by how much she cared about him. She could no longer push it back, and the harder she tried the worse it became. It rested on the surface of her thoughts, threatening to burst through the poorly-constructed barriers in her mind at some unfortunate moment.  
  
Oliver ran to the quidditch field after his encounter with the crazed Emma and discovered an equally wild Gryffindor team. The three chasers and Harry huddled around an uproarious Fred and George. The twins were laughing so hard that they were both buckled over, Fred weakly supported by George's back as they threatened to topple over. The four surrounding them looked confused but were laughing simply because the twins looked so ridiculous.  
  
"What is going on?" Oliver asked Katie.  
  
Katie shrugged, biting the knuckle of her thumb in an effort to control her laughter. "We haven't been able to understand a word that they've said," she explained, falling against Oliver as she started giggling again. Oliver caught her shoulders and steadied her.  
  
"You're all crazy!" He moved away from the chuckling Katie and exclaimed sharply, "Fred! George! Calm down!"  
  
It took Fred and George about five minutes to completely stop laughing, and Oliver stared at them stoically the entire time, his arms folded sternly across his chest. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie, who had stopped giggling, started laughing again, imitating Oliver's army stance. Only Harry, who looked like he would rather be anywhere else, commiserated with Oliver, patting him on the shoulder and shrugging.  
  
Fred finally began to explain after about ten minutes. "That Emma girl came running past us . . ."  
  
"Yelling about chocolate and a new broom." George broke in.  
  
"And she actually did a cartwheel!" At this the two broke into laughter again and Oliver slammed his hand against his head in frustration.  
  
"We play Slytherin in two weeks! We desperately need to practice! Pull yourselves together!" he shouted, although he had to grin at the completely incomprehensible thought of Emma doing a cartwheel. Fred and George stopped abruptly. "Don't you ever have fun?" George asked, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Why do you hang out with that girl beater anyway?" Fred demanded, changing the subject. "You never would tell us."  
  
"Yeah, are you trying to steal Ravenclaw strategies from her?" George nudged Oliver in the stomach, a knowing look on his face.  
  
Oliver sighed in frustration. The Weasley twins had used several tactics over the course of September to try to get Oliver to explain why he was helping Emma. First they had teased him unceasingly, insisting that Oliver had only romantic intentions. When that produced no effects they began to badger him, convinced that he was consorting with the enemy. More recently they had decided that he must be trying to manipulate the other teams, beginning with Ravenclaw's new "girl beater" who would be easy to influence. But they had finally pushed Oliver over the edge.  
  
"Ok, I am going to explain this to you just to get you off my back! Then we are going to practice so that Slytherin doesn't obliterate us!"  
  
The entire team stared at him, rapt with attention for once. Maybe I should use this tactic more often, Oliver thought. It shuts them all up at least. Katie's heart was pounding in her ears. She tugged on the bottom of her robes, unable to look into Oliver's sincere eyes.  
  
"Truthfully, I don't know why I am helping her. There didn't seem to be a good reason not to. I am not trying to steal Ravenclaw strategies, nor am I trying to influence her negatively, and I definitely don't fancy her. Are you happy?!" Oliver's face burned. As soon as he said he didn't fancy her, he began to wonder if he did. The thought that the team might somehow be able to see his embarrassing and frightening thoughts only made his face turn redder.  
  
Fred and George were strangely pacified by this answer, but Katie felt like her heart had plummeted into her stomach, and she clutched her middle trying not to throw up. A single thought slammed against her mind: I have to get over this.  
  
"Practice!" Oliver yelled, even more forcefully than usual. While the rest of the team practiced quidditch, Katie practiced not being affected by Oliver's mind-numbing smiles. By the end of practice she was feeling pretty good about her ability to stop liking him, but unfortunately that was because Oliver was too distracted to smile much. As they walked to the locker rooms after practice he grinned broadly at her and gave her a pleased sideways hug.  
  
"You girls are doing really well," he told the three chasers, but Katie didn't hear. He had to go and do that, she thought, groaning inwardly. The idiot.  
  
The next evening Oliver and Emma were working on a project in the Great Hall. It was Saturday and several other Hogwarts students were in the Great Hall as well, many of them working on homework, but several were watching Fred and George Weasley doing imitations of the different professors, and a few were practicing dueling in a corner.  
  
"You need to move the pitcher's mound closer to home plate," Emma told Oliver. The quidditch captain had been fascinated with baseball from the first time Emma mentioned it to him. After Emma's practices she would often tell Oliver about the details of baseball, and he decided he wanted to see it played. Emma suggested that he build a model of a baseball field similar to the quidditch field model, and despite his uncertainties about the idea, Oliver's efforts were quite successful.  
  
"Right here?" he asked, slowly moving the tiny pitcher's mound with his wand.  
  
"A little more . . . yeah, that's good." Emma directed him.  
  
"This is wicked! You are brilliant!" Oliver smiled endearingly at Emma who felt a jolt in her stomach. That was a new feeling, she thought, startled. But before she could think any more about it, they were interrupted by Oliver's fan club.  
  
"Oliver, Cedric says that he thinks you're wrong about who won the World Cup in 1943. He says it was Denmark," a little second year said, tugging on the back of Oliver's red and gold Gryffindor sweater. Since the day he had discovered his fan club it had only grown, mainly because he appeared softer since he'd met Emma, but also because he actually acknowledged the girls every now and then. That night he and Cedric had started a sort of game in which they passed the girls back and forth.  
  
Oliver awarded her a dizzying eye-raise and the tiny red head squirmed. "Well you can tell Mr. Diggory that I am positive it was Greenland and if he wants to take it up with me he can just come over here himself." The group of seven admirers went scampering back to Cedric.  
  
"You are awful!" Emma smacked his arm, shaking her head and laughing. "I don't know how I feel about this Romeo side of you." She shook her finger in his face and Oliver grabbed it.  
  
"I'm no Romeo. I'm just joking around." He smiled mildly to himself.  
  
Emma pulled her finger out of his grip, raising her eyes doubtfully. "You're going to break all those little hearts. You and Cedric Diggory are a bad influence on each other, toying with little girls."  
  
"You're right, I shouldn't treat them this way. I'm just not used to dealing with this stuff." Oliver ruffled her hair and Emma glared at him.  
  
"Well you impossible boy, maybe you should do what Cedric used to do before your antics poisoned him. Just ignore them."  
  
Oliver looked down at the floor and Emma scruffed the hair on the back of his neck. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack you. I just know how it feels to chase after a guy like that. Those girls are vulnerable . . . there I go again. I'm done now. Let's get back to work."  
  
The girls never returned, since Cedric decided to end the game. Oliver took Emma's words to heart, determined to be careful about how he treated his young followers. "So how are we doing? What part is next?" Oliver asked Emma, surveying the beginnings of the baseball field.  
  
"We should get the bases made." The work was slow because Emma had to carefully describe how the different parts looked and then Oliver had to figure out what spells he could use to make things. An hour and a half later they gave up on the boring task of designing the bases.  
  
"Let's make some people," Emma suggested.  
  
Oliver quickly and expertly formed the basic outline of a human, and then as Emma described the first player the features slowly appeared on the human figure. "Sammy Sosa!" Emma exclaimed.  
  
Oliver examined the tiny baseball player. "Is he famous?" he asked.  
  
"Very. And part of the best team in America."  
  
"Who's famous?" Fred Weasley demanded, breaking into the conversation.  
  
"Sammy Sosa," Emma replied, eying the twins suspiciously. They had not been particularly friendly to her all term, and since her crazy behavior the day before they had teased her non-stop.  
  
"This little guy?" George asked, picking up the miniature Sammy Sosa. "He doesn't look like a quidditch player."  
  
"He's a baseball player," Oliver explained proudly.  
  
"Baseball?" the twins asked together.  
  
Emma showed them the field, trying to explain the baffling sport to the Weasley twins. They were enraptured and listened intently to Emma. That night they decided Emma was "the most wicked girl at Hogwarts" and even offered her beater tips.  
  
Katie, Angelina, and Alicia joined the group while Emma was in the middle of her explanation. They too were very curious about the model baseball field.  
  
"You made this?" Katie asked Oliver, while Fred and George were interrogating Emma about her American muggle cousins.  
  
"Yeah." Oliver smiled at Katie modestly.  
  
"It's really good." She peered closely at Sammy Sosa who was tossing a crumb-sized baseball in the air and catching it.  
  
"Thanks," Oliver told Katie.  
  
"Hey, why don't you boys leave Emma alone for a minute," Alicia said. Emma's eyes were drooping and she could no longer keep up with the rambunctious twins' questions but they hadn't seemed to notice.  
  
Emma smiled gratefully at Alicia. "I'm sorry I haven't really had a chance to meet you three before," she said to Angelina, Alicia, and Katie. "I was thinking though that the female quidditch players should get together sometime. There are so few of us and we need to stand up against these arrogant boys."  
  
The three chasers laughed appreciatively, but a grumpy Fred and George left the table, determined to display their male pride.  
  
"Oh no. This could be very dangerous. I think I'm going to take this troublemaker away before she starts a war." Oliver turned to Emma only to see that the "troublemaker" had fallen asleep on the table.  
  
"Emma," he said, gently shaking her shoulder.  
  
"Go away," she grumbled. After a few minutes he got her on her feet and led her out of the Great Hall.  
  
"You all right?" Angelina asked Katie as they watched Oliver scoop Emma up in his arms right outside the entrance to the Great Hall.  
  
"I don't know," Katie replied, and she really wasn't sure. 


	3. In Which There is Some Very Bad Weather

"Man, it sounds like someone is bombing us!" Emma yelled over the violent thunder. A week after she and Oliver had been working on the miniature baseball field they stood in the hallway by the front door, listening to the explosive storm that had been raging all day.  
  
"Bombing?" Oliver asked, confused by the muggle word. "It's like . . . oh, never mind. Anyway, are you ready to get out there? This is the weather we've been waiting for." Emma tugged on Oliver's arm trying to pull him out the door. She was bundled up tightly in her cloak, her hood pulled down over half her face.  
  
Oliver pushed her hood back and touched the end of her nose. "Don't hide that cute nose."  
  
Emma narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "What are you talking about? Cute nose? You are goofy. Now let's go!" She pulled her hood back over her head. She had noticed that Oliver was touching her a lot more in the past few weeks and it made her nervous.  
  
Oliver winced. He knew he wasn't being fair but he had to tell her. "Emma, I'm sorry but I only came here to tell you that I can't practice with you today. This is perfect weather to get the team out in and we're playing Slytherin in only two weeks . . ."  
  
"But I need your help!" Emma interrupted. "You've been telling me for weeks that once I practice in some bad weather I'll be ready for a game. I can't believe you're doing this!" Emma started to walk away but Oliver grabbed her arm.  
  
"Emma wait! I have to put the team first, you know that. Ravenclaw doesn't play for a month and I'm sure we'll have time to practice. . ."  
  
"I knew I should have listened to Davies. He said you were only doing this to give Gryffindor an advantage." She pulled her arm out of his grasp angrily.  
  
"Since when do you listen to Davies?" Oliver demanded.  
  
"Since you turned into a back-stabbing . . ."  
  
"You aren't even being reasonable! C'mon Emma, please." Oliver turned her around to face him but she shook him off.  
  
"No. I don't need you. I'll just go out there by myself." She began to run but Oliver chased her.  
  
"Emma! Don't be crazy! You'll get yourself killed!"  
  
Emma halted abruptly and spun around. "I can take care of myself. I don't need you, I don't want you, so please leave me alone."  
  
"Fine, whatever!" Oliver yelled as she marched away from him. She had broken something inside him with that last dismissal. He was hurt that she could be so unfair after he dedicated so much time to her and he thought they were becoming good friends. Feeling dejected and confused he slowly began to walk back to Gryffindor.  
  
Emma slammed the door to her dormitory, grabbed her broom and slammed the door again on the way out.  
  
"Emma?" Penelope called after her, but Emma ignored her. She stormed through the common room, scaring all the students doing homework. She purposely fueled her anger, hoping that as long as she was furious she wouldn't be able to think about how stupid she had been. The more affection Oliver showed her the more skittish she felt. In the back of her mind she knew that she wasn't angry with him, but was starting to care about him more and more. That thought was so petrifying that it had erupted in anger.  
  
Outside thunder exploded and lightning sliced the sky almost simultaneously. Within seconds Emma felt the cold rain biting through her robe. Wind tore her hood off her head but she mounted her broom anyway. If Oliver thought she needed to practice in this weather she would do it. Over and over the powerful wind beat her down as she tried to rise into the air but finally she was flying. Her broom plunged and snapped back up, twisting upside-down and dangling her precariously. Plunge, snap, twist, shake, plunge, snap, twist, shake. . . Emma gripped the handle so tightly that it cut into her shaking hands. Her head spun - the world a blinding blur broken only by searing flashes of lightning. Then suddenly it was black.  
  
"Are you crazy?" Angelina demanded. "You shouldn't even walk outside in this weather, let alone fly. We are not practicing!"  
  
Oliver started to protest but Angelina wouldn't let him. "No! I am taking charge today! I am not going to let your self-absorbed need to win get one of the team members killed!"  
  
"Okay, you're right." Oliver sank into a chair by the fire, too weak and worried about Emma to argue. Angelina glared at him and walked over to where Alicia sat. Oliver jumped up and began to pace in front of the fire. For twenty minutes he kept sitting then standing and pacing then sitting again, unable to relax.  
  
"I have to go get her," he said to himself just as Katie burst through the door. She ran over to Oliver, her face pale and her eyes wide. "You have to come now," she said, her voice shaking. "It's Emma."  
  
"Davies!" Katie jumped, startled by the hulking figure that emerged from the shadows just outside of Gryffidor. She had run with a panicked Oliver to the hospital wing and then, at his insistence, returned to Gryffindor to change her soaked clothes.  
  
"Katie, you look terrible," he replied. His buff frame towered over Katie who had never been considered short. Davies intimidated everyone - the rippling arm and chest muscles accented by tight-fitting sweaters, the thick dark hair framing chiseled facial features, the one deep brown eye and one glimmering green eye, the shimmering gold hoop in each ear lobe were features too overwhelming to deal with at close range. Katie took an involuntary step backwards, ignoring his comment about her appearance. "Roger, what are you doing here?"  
  
"I heard about Emma. I came to see if she was okay." Roger Davies sank to the floor, sighing deeply.  
  
Katie loomed above him. "Since when do you care? And if you really wanted to know why didn't you go to the hospital wing? I know that you're not so stupid that you wouldn't realize that's where she'd be."  
  
Davies ran his strong fingers through his thick hair and then rested his forehead on his knees. "Katie, c'mon. You know I can't just walk in there. Emma's not going to want to see me," he said, beating his head against his knees.  
  
"You're her captain! You should be there! Now what is going on?" Katie knelt down in front of him and pulled his head up so he would look at her.  
  
Davies turned away from her imploring eyes. "I can't tell you."  
  
Katie sighed. "Fine, be impossible. But I am not going to sit out here if you're going to be like this." She got up and whispered the Gryffindor password to the Fat Lady.  
  
"Please, is Emma okay?" Davies asked again as the Gryffindor door creaked open.  
  
"I don't know. Why don't you go find out for yourself." Katie disappeared quickly and a sullen Davies lumbered away down the hall.  
  
What on earth was he doing? Katie wondered to herself as she peeled off the damp clothes still plastered to her body. Katie didn't know Davies very well, but she knew him better than most Hogwarts students. For second and third year he had been her "secondary" crush - a kind of dormant attraction that arose any time she felt particularly discouraged about Oliver. Despite his frightening nature it was not atypical for Hogwarts girls to have crushes on him. In a way he was a more sophisticated crush and a lot of girls faded from Oliver and Cedric obsessions into a secret and self-satisfying desire for Davies. Fifth and sixth years with Davies crushes always had a snooty air about them. Katie, however, had given up on Davies in her full dedication to Oliver. Somewhere along the line, however, they had established a shaky friendship that seemed prone to moments of unsettling conversation in dark corridors.  
  
Katie shook her head violently, trying to forget about Davies' strange behavior. She wanted only to be wearing dry clothes, curled up in front of the fire, not forced to wonder about Oliver, worry about Emma, and puzzle over Davies. The first part she accomplished in five minutes, the second would not be possible for months.  
  
Oliver paced in front of the hospital wing. Katie's words kept pounding in his head: "Penelope knew something was wrong . . . ran to get Madam Hooch . . . I happened to be there too . . . we ran outside . . . Emma's broom threw her off straight into a tree . . . she looks horrible . . ."  
  
Oliver felt numb. How could I have let her go out there by herself? he demanded, resting his face and hands against a freezing wall. The dull feeling in his stomach began to spread, awakening his body to a deep aching. He was too terrified and ashamed to go in and see Emma. What if she doesn't make it? He tried to push the question back but it slammed against his mind again and again like a homicidal bludger.  
  
"Oliver?" a calm voice said suddenly.  
  
"Professor Lupin," he replied quietly without looking.  
  
"Why are you still out here? Emma is unconscious but I'm sure you would still like to see her." The kindly professor rested a hand on Oliver's shoulder and he slowly turned around. "Sit down, you look like you're going to collapse." Professor Lupin helped Oliver settle into one of the wooden chairs outside of the hospital wing.  
  
"I just can't go in there," Oliver said, burrowing his ashen face in his lap. "This is completely my fault and she is never going to want to see me again," he lamented, his voice muffled.  
  
"Oh I doubt that." Professor Lupin lowered himself into a chair next to Oliver. "I can't imagine that you told her to go out there."  
  
"I may as well have."  
  
Professor Lupin sighed. "Whatever the case may be, you should still go in there. Emma is not a child, she will listen to you. And it will do you good to see that she is still breathing."  
  
Oliver nodded and hesitantly got to his feet. "I will be here when you return," Professor Lupin called quietly after him as he disappeared into the hospital wing.  
  
"Wood, I'm glad you're here!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed. "Perhaps you can tell me what kind of nonsense led to this horrible accident." She glared at Oliver and he felt the tiny bit of confidence bleed out through his tired eyes.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry! Poor boy, I should have known this would be hard on you. Here, come see Ms. Watson."  
  
Oliver roughly wiped away the fledgling tears as Madame Pomfrey led him to Emma's bedside. Oliver gasped when he saw Emma. Her face was drained of life, her eyes, though closed, seemed sunken and hollow, her hair tangled and careless. Oliver bent down to push back the limp strands from her face and was shocked by her frigid skin.  
  
"She caught a bad case of pneumonia, which is even worse than the broken bones she suffered from hitting that tree. The bones I can easily heal, but the pneumonia will fade into a cold that will cling to her for weeks. Nothing more dangerous than a cold. Anyway, not to worry. She'll be alright eventually. I'll let you stay for a few minutes but then you should leave her to rest." Madame Pomfrey left Oliver alone in the hospital wing.  
  
"I don't know why you have to be left alone to rest," Oliver said, sitting on the edge of Emma's bed. "You're not even conscious." Just then a violent coughing fit seized Emma's weakened body. Oliver jumped up, ready to get Madame Pomfrey, when it ended as quickly as it had started. He sank down again next to her, noticing that she was still unconscious. "Well if it happens again I am going to get Madame Pomfrey. It's very scary when you do that."  
  
He sat staring at her for a few minutes, calmed by the sound of the weak amounts of air entering and leaving her lungs. "I wasn't sure I was going to be able to here you breathe again. I don't think I can even tell you how happy I am to hear it. I am so sorry that I ever even gave you the idea to go out to practice in bad weather. And I'm even more sorry that I wasn't fair to you today. If I had been with you maybe I could have prevented this." He watched her for several minutes, stroking her hair and listening to her breathe. "Please forgive me," he finally said. "I know you can't hear me but I am sorry. Please forgive me. I promise I will never let you down again."  
  
Oliver fell silent, wondering if she ever would forgive him. He glanced around the room and noticed her broom, battered but still in one piece and leaning against the wall. "The broom!" Oliver exclaimed. "How could I have forgotten about it?" He jumped up, grabbed the broom and ran into the hallway. Professor Lupin, still sitting in the wooden chair, jolted awake.  
  
Oliver thrust the broom into the startled professor's hands. "Professor, I need you to examine this for me. I think it might be cursed."  
  
Emma remained unconscious for another two days. For the first time is his years at Hogwarts Oliver was too worried to hold quidditch practice. He spent all of his spare time at Emma's bedside, and during classes he stared blankly at the professor, unable to focus or write anything down. After he unknowingly gnawed apart his quill during Transfiguration Professor McGonagall ordered him to get some sleep. The deep guilt and anxiousness, however, would not even allow him rest. While he was pacing around his room that day that Emma woke up.  
  
Katie happened to be visiting Emma at the time. For half and hour she had sat next to Emma's bed, talking as if Emma were awake. "I guess it must seem strange to you that I'm here. It's not as if you and I know each other that well. But after you see someone get thrown off their broom into a tree it's hard not to worry about them." Katie smiled to herself and released a deep breath. "I can't really find it in my heart to dislike you. Some horrible part of me wants to, but it's not like you tried to make Oliver like you. And it's not like you knew that I like him." Katie stopped, shocked that she'd let the words come out of her mouth so freely. "Crushes are crazy, aren't they? I wish you were awake so I could ask you if you like him back. I wonder if you even realize that he likes you. Probably not. It's all over his face though. And he's never canceled quidditch practice before. That was the giveaway. Well, enough of this talk. If we're lucky we still have awhile before any of this really starts to matter." She giggled. "Oliver is so unaware of these things that it could take him months to realize that he likes you. I hope so. As long as he doesn't know things will be normal."  
  
Katie moved over to the table at the end of Emma's bed and examined the cards and gifts piled on top of it. "Maybe if I start talking about something less confusing and more fun you will regain consciousness. Let's see . . . I think the Weasley twins brought you all of the candy at Honeyduke's, and here's a funny card from Cho, and Penelope and Percy made you a photo album although it looks like it's mostly pictures of them. Hmm . . . what is this? Oh my word it's from Davies."  
  
Katie picked up a single red rose with a tiny tag that read "Get well soon, Emma. The team needs you." Katie set it back down carefully. "Well, I don't know what to make of that. He's a strange one." She thought for a minute but couldn't decide if it was something Davies would likely do or not. He obviously had done it, even if it didn't make sense. "Well, whatever," she finally said. "What else is here . . . this other bunch of flowers is from the Ravenclaw quidditch team, and . . ."  
  
"Is there anything from Wood?"  
  
At the sound of Emma's weak voice Katie dropped the card she had been holding. "Emma!" Katie ran to the front of the bed and knelt down. Emma struggled to turn her head to face Katie.  
  
"You are very fuzzy," Emma said slowly.  
  
"I better get Madam Pomfrey. I'll be right back." Katie started to get up, but Emma limply caught her right hand. Katie shivered at Emma's clammy touch.  
  
"Before you go, has Oliver been here?" Everything Emma said seemed to take great effort.  
  
Katie sat on the edge of the bed by Emma's head. Emma's eyelids were flickering as she struggled to keep them open. "Just close your eyes," Katie said gently. "I'll tell you about him." Emma's eyes drifted shut. "He has been here every moment Madam Pomfrey would let him stay. Although he didn't tell me I know that he's sorry. He hasn't even had quidditch practice." Emma smiled dimly before slipping back into unconsciousness. Katie carefully tucked the blankets in around Emma and went to find Madam Pomfrey.  
  
"You do realize that we haven't had practice in four days and our game with Slytherin is coming up very soon," Angelina, her eyes narrowed slightly, questioned Oliver.  
  
"Yes," Oliver replied in an equally superior voice. "But right now I don't care." Two days after Emma's brief awakening Oliver, Katie, and Angelina were sitting at a table in the Great Hall. The miniature quidditch field and half-finished baseball field sat side by side on the table. Some of the tiny Gryffindor and Ravenclaw players interacted with the model Sammy Sosa, playing a combination of their two sports. Emma, Katie, Oliver, Cho, or one of the Weasley twins would throw the miniscule baseball to Sammy Sosa who would hit it with a beater and then run the bases. While he ran the quidditch players tried to catch the ball and then to pass it or dive to tag the famous baseball player. Sammy usually lost because third base hadn't been made yet and the stretch from second base to home plate was too long.  
  
The real Angelina, Oliver, and Katie watched Emma catch the baseball, tag Sammy and then fly over to Davies who was sitting in the stands with the extra quidditch players. She pulled a wool stocking cap off Davies head and zoomed away with it. Davies folded his arms and leaned casually against the wall of the incomplete model baseball field.  
  
"That boy needs to get over himself," Angelina commented, rolling her eyes. "What is it about quidditch captains?" she asked, turning to Oliver again. "I don't understand any of you."  
  
"Maybe we want it that way," Oliver replied casually. Angelina snorted and returned to her History of Magic homework.  
  
"So what do you need my help with?" Katie asked. She had been watching the model Davies confidently surveying the quidditch field and missed most of Oliver and Angelina's conversation.  
  
Oliver pulled a parchment, quill, and bottle of ink out of his bag. "Well, remember how I told you that I thought Emma's broom was cursed?" Katie nodded and Oliver continued. "I haven't heard anything about it yet from Professor Lupin so I want to try to figure it out on my own." Madam Pomfrey had not allowed anyone to see Emma since Katie's visit and Oliver was restless.  
  
"Bloody hell, Oliver!" Angelina exclaimed, startling both Oliver and Katie. "Her broom is not cursed. Get over it."  
  
"Angelina! What's bothering you today?" Katie stared intently at her friend until she looked up. Angelina gave Katie a look that Katie correctly interpreted as meaning "You should know but we'll talk about it later." Suddenly a new voice broke into their conversation. "Well I hope you're proud of yourself." The three Gryffindor quidditch players turned abruptly to see Davies looming over them. His shimmering green eye winked at Katie while his deep brown eye burned into Oliver.  
  
"Excuse me?" Oliver asked, peering up into Davies glowering face.  
  
"You heard what I said," Davies shot back, taking a menacing step toward Oliver. Oliver stood up, his head even with Davies chin. "I think what I heard is that you're a . . ."  
  
"Oi! Both of you knock it off!" Katie gripped Oliver's arm and scowled at Davies who was reaching for his wand.  
  
Davies glanced at Katie and gently pushed the loose strands of hair back from her face. "This isn't over yet," he said calmly to Oliver and sauntered away.  
  
"What was that?" Oliver demanded, sinking back down on the bench.  
  
"Quidditch captains!" Angelina exclaimed, slamming her book closed and gathering several papers. "They're all crazy! I'm going back to the common room where there are no quidditch captains." She precariously balanced her ink and quill on top of the book and papers in her arms.  
  
Oliver and Katie laughed as Angelina huffily walked away. "Forget about Davies," Katie counseled, sitting next to Oliver and resting her head on the table.  
  
"He doesn't make himself easy to forget," Oliver remarked.  
  
"No, he certainly doesn't," Katie muttered, but Oliver didn't notice. Tiny Fred and George had escaped from the baseball field and were attempting death-defying leaps off the table.  
  
"I think it's time we get these guys put away for the night." Oliver beckoned Percy who was headed for the door of the Great Hall with Penelope and asked him to take the two fields back to Gryffindor. Percy agreed and after about five minutes of jabbering finally left.  
  
"Are we ready to get to work now?" Katie asked.  
  
"Yes. Now, let me tell you what I know first." Oliver made notes on his parchment as he talked to Katie. "First of all, that broom has been in Emma's family for years. The weird thing is that she said all of her family before her that used it were brilliant fliers. Several of them were even on winning Quidditch Cup teams." He paused for a moment, a distant, longing look in his eyes. Then, shaking his head slowly he began speaking again. "Emma is the first to have any difficulty flying. So it seems that if the broom is cursed it must have been cursed specifically for her."  
  
Katie nodded slowly. "She's never been able to fly well?"  
  
"Yeah, from her first day at Hogwarts. So I have been trying to figure out if she has any enemies at Hogwarts. The only person I can think of is Davies."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Katie asked, her eyes narrowing at the edges. "Davies is just a difficult guy. He's not particularly good with anyone on his team."  
  
"Emma told me herself that Davies doesn't like her because she comes from a partly muggle family and she's never played serious quidditch and she's a girl," Oliver explained, making more careful notes on his parchment.  
  
"What!" Katie exclaimed and Oliver, startled, smeared a long line across the parchment. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, but that's just crazy."  
  
Oliver raised his eyes in surprise and Katie felt a stirring in her stomach. She took a deep breath, suppressed the feeling and continued. "First of all, Davies comes from a partly muggle family too. I've never heard him say anything against someone that had muggle parents. Secondly, do you know why he likes Cho Chang so much? Because she's a girl who had never played serious quidditch before trying out for the team and she's a brilliant seeker. Davies was really impressed with her. I am absolutely certain that none of those things would make him dislike Emma. She must have been mistaken." Oliver looked into Katie's serious eyes. "I guess she does have a tendency to jump to conclusions. But why would she say all that?"  
  
"Well, my guess is that other people have bothered her about those things so she just assumed that they were the same reasons that Davies doesn't appear to like her. Since he has no good reason that anyone can see, it makes sense that Emma would think it was for those reasons."  
  
Oliver nodded slowly. "How do you know so much about Davies anyway?" Katie's face flushed. "No particular reason. Stuff gets around. You know." Oliver seemed to accept this explanation and looked at his parchment again. "So if it's not him than who can it be?"  
  
"I don't know. I think you're just going to have to wait and see what Professor Lupin says."  
  
Oliver sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right."  
  
Suddenly the Great Hall was noticeably quiet. Oliver and Katie looked up to see what was going on. Emma stood in the door, wrapped tightly in a blanket. She walked slowly over to Oliver and Katie, coughing several times along the way. "Hi guys." Emma tried to smile but coughed again. When the spasm passed, Katie stood up and gave Emma quick hug.  
  
"It's good to see you up and about. We'll talk later but right now I should get to bed."  
  
"Thanks, Katie," Emma replied as Katie briskly walked away.  
  
Oliver and Emma stared at each other, Emma toying with the fraying ends of her blanket and Oliver fiddling with his fingers. "I am so glad you're okay," Oliver finally said. "I was so worried. I'm really sorry that I let you go out there alone . . ."  
  
Emma carefully lowered her body to the bench beside him and pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh, it's over now. We both made mistakes, but it's over." Oliver smiled at her. He felt like a snitch had been let loose in his stomach. They sat in happy but awkward silence for a moment and then Professor Lupin appeared before them.  
  
"Good to see you back on your feet, Emma. You're just in time. I have a report on your unique broom. If both of you will follow me to my office I can tell you what I've found out."  
  
**  
  
"You again!"  
  
"Don't sound so excited." Davies jumped to his feet and smirked at an exasperated Katie. She leaned back against the wall in the nameless corridor - disoriented after the short walk she had taken since leaving Emma and Oliver. She didn't want Davies to know that she was completely lost as she always was when she walked around Hogwarts alone in the dark.  
  
"What were you trying to do tonight anyway?" Katie demanded. "Approaching Oliver like that. You do not need to be starting fights."  
  
"That idiot almost got my best player killed! And where do you get off defending him? I saw the way you fell all over him. It's sick, Katie. Honestly, you should be over it by now." Davies stood directly in front of Katie, trapping her against the wall.  
  
"You're crazy. I was not falling all over him. I was simply trying to stop both of you from acting like barbarians!"  
  
Davies braced his arm against the wall above Katie's head, bringing them even closer together. Katie winced but held her ground. "I was a perfect gentleman," Davies said in a low voice. "Wood started the fight."  
  
Katie felt heat radiating from his body as his chest heaved with barely controlled anger. Davies smelled amazing - a combination of fresh soap and sophisticated cologne and mint. He took better care of himself physically than any other guy at Hogwarts and up close it was alarmingly obvious. His well-toned muscles strained against his shirt, his smooth, just-shaven chin rested right above Katie's head, and his soft but wild hair fell teasingly over his sparkling green eye. Katie, overwhelmed by his closeness, took a deep breath and whispered, "You are no gentlemen. I don't know what you have against Emma but you should just leave her alone. And you should leave Oliver alone too."  
  
"Katie, Katie, Katie," Davies repeated her name softly and tapped the end of her nose. "I think I'm going to have to kiss you again."  
  
"I will rip those hoops right out of your ears . . ." she threatened but his lips broke her off mid-sentence. Katie froze, forcing herself not to breathe, move, or respond in any way to his delicate kiss. After a brief moment he pulled away, taking a step backwards. "Are you done?" Katie asked.  
  
"Yes," Davies replied.  
  
"That was not necessary." Katie breathed in and out steadily, trying to calm her frenzied heartbeat and shaking legs.  
  
"Oh I think it was necessary. Now maybe you'll remember who I really am." With that Davies left and Katie, bewildered and even more disoriented, tried to find her way back to Gryffindor. As she walked her pulse rate gradually slowed and she began to feel like herself again. Davies drove her to a defensive and outspoken nature that completely contrasted her normal personality. After their encounters it always took her a full night's sleep before she felt normal again.  
  
When she finally found Gryffindor the common room was empty except for Angelina sitting in front of the fire. "Where have you been?" Angelina interrogated her. "Oh my, you look like you just saw a dragon. What happened?"  
  
Katie flopped down on the couch next to Angelina. "I did see a dragon - tall, very fit, hungry look in his eyes . . ."  
  
"You ran into Davies again? What is it about that guy? Oh wait, he's a quidditch captain!" Angelina scowled.  
  
"I don't know why I constantly run into him. He's so weird. But anyway, it doesn't matter." She stared into the fire thinking about the kiss. There was no need to mention it to Angelina, she decided, since it was only Davies. "What were you so mad about earlier tonight anyway?"  
  
"Oh just Oliver. He's so clueless. If you're not going to get over him than I wish he would fancy you and put you out of your misery."  
  
"Oh brilliant! That makes me feel good, Angelina." "I'm sorry," Angelina said, hugging her friend. "But it's not fun to see you like this all the time."  
  
Katie sighed. "You know I'm trying to stop, I really am."  
  
"Yes, I know. And you're doing a good job. Even being nice to Emma which is more than I would be able to do."  
  
Katie shrugged. "I really don't mind Emma. She's nice. And she isn't trying to make all of this happen. Anyway, enough of this. I'm never going to stay awake in Potions tomorrow if we don't go to sleep."  
  
Late into the night, however, Katie was still thinking about Davies. "Now maybe you'll remember who I really am," she whispered to herself just before she finally drifted off to sleep.  
  
While Katie bantered with Davies, Professor Lupin discussed Emma's broom with Oliver and Emma.  
  
"This is a very interesting broom you have," Professor Lupin said, laying the mysterious object across Emma and Oliver's legs. They sat on a couch in the professor's office, and he paced while he talked with them. "It must have been handmade at least one hundred years ago."  
  
"Longer," Emma replied. She traced her fingers along the chipped and cracked handle, a dazed expression on her face. Oliver rested one arm protectively on the back of the sofa and his hand drifted to her back every time she coughed. Professor Lupin pressed the palms of his hands together and thoughtfully tapped his index fingers against his mouth. "I am sorry to say that Oliver was right. This broom has been cursed."  
  
Emma broke into a particularly violent coughing fit, her body crippling over. Oliver held her shoulders, supporting her and Professor Lupin knelt in front of them. He muttered a spell and Emma stopped coughing.  
  
"Are you alright?" Oliver asked as Emma slowly sat up.  
  
Emma, her face red and her eyes watering, nodded. "I was just so shocked. How could it be cursed?"  
  
"Well, this is the interesting part," Professor Lupin said, standing up again. "It's a very weak curse - it would have to be reapplied at least once a month in order to be effective because it becomes ineffective rather quickly."  
  
Emma pushed the broom forward and it tipped off the couch and clattered on the stone floor. "This is crazy! Someone's been cursing my broom every month since I came to Hogwarts? Who would do that?" Emma's face, still pale and drained from her accident, began to flush. Oliver rubbed her back and smoothed her hair and she took several rapid and rattling breaths.  
  
"I'm sure we'll be able to figure out who's behind this," Oliver promised.  
  
Professor Lupin crouched in front of Emma again and she looked into his caring eyes. "Emma, there is more that I need to tell you, but you're going to have to calm down. Your emotions have been heightened by the potions Madam Pomfrey is giving you to fight that cold." He pulled a tiny clear bottle from the inside of his robes and handed it to Emma. "Take this first. It will help balance your emotions a little better."  
  
Emma took the bottle and examined it suspiciously.  
  
"Go ahead," Oliver encouraged her and she tipped the mouthful of greenish liquid down her throat.  
  
"Sometimes it has odd side effects and will intensify one emotion . . ."  
  
"Well it's too late to think about those things now," Emma said, interrupting the professor. "Please just tell me about the broom."  
  
"Okay." Professor Lupin once again got to his feet. "It took me only about an hour to figure out the weak and temporary curse on the broom. I could sense, however, that there was another enchantment on the broom as well and it took me four days to determine what that was. Your broom, Emma, has the capability to make its rider the best flyer in the world. A weak curse might only dull the effects of the spell, but it might also cause the broom to go crazy."  
  
Oliver's mouth hung open but Emma stared straight ahead, her eyes dull and her face blank. "Thank you Professor. I think I should go back to the hospital wing now." Emma got up, stepped over the miraculous broom, and casually walked out of the office. Oliver, too stunned to move, simply watched her go.  
  
"You'd better go after her, Oliver. I don't know what is happening with that potion," Professor Lupin said calmly.  
  
Oliver shook his head rapidly and jumped up. "Right. Thanks Professor. I think." He bolted out the door after Emma.  
  
Professor Lupin smiled to himself as he picked up the broom and rested it against his desk.  
  
"Emma! Emma wait!" Oliver yelled as he tripped over the blanket Emma had discarded after she began to run. Oliver chased her through a series of empty corridors, finally catching up with her outside the History of Magic classroom. Emma was panting and coughing, gripping the doorframe for support. Oliver grasped her heaving shoulders but she shook him off.  
  
"How could they do this?" she screamed, kicking the door of the classroom which flew open and crashed into the wall. Oliver stopped the door on its hazardous return trip and tried again to touch Emma. She yanked herself out of his grip and yelled, "For four generations that broom has helped win quidditch cups and it was all a fraud! How could my family do this?"  
  
"Calm down, Emma," Oliver pleaded. "Maybe they didn't know about the enchantment."  
  
Emma whipped around and Oliver saw tears pouring down her cheeks. "They must have known! How could they not? Is my own family cursing that broom and trying to hurt me? What is going on?" She shouted the last sentence so loudly that it echoed around the hallway.  
  
Oliver wrestled the sobbing Emma to his chest and hugged her tightly. Once in his arms she collapsed against him, overwrought with tears, gasps, and coughs. For several minutes Oliver let Emma cry. Finally, aware that they were in a rather public spot, he said, "This is too much for you to deal with while you're still sick. I'll take you back to Madam Pomfrey and you can get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll talk about all this." Emma nodded, rubbing her face against his sweater. Oliver picked her up, cradling her in his arms, and carried her back to the hospital wing. When Madam Pomfrey saw Emma she looked like she would explode, but she didn't ask what had happened. She did, however, refuse to let Oliver stay by Emma's bedside.  
  
"I'll be back in the morning," Oliver promised, squeezing Emma's hand. She smiled weakly and snuggled down under her blankets.  
  
The next morning Emma awoke feeling like all the sickness in her body had poured into her head in the form of a nagging mess of thoughts. The aching in her limbs was gone, the bruises and cuts all over her body had healed, and even her cold seemed to be in its final stages. Her head, however, was throbbing with the weight of the news about her broom, and, even more so, with questions about Oliver.  
  
Emma braced her hands on either side of her pillow and pushed herself up onto her knees. Her bed appeared to tip sideways and she quickly squeezed her eyes shut and dropped her head in her hands. After effects of that potion from Professor Lupin, she determined. Afraid to open her eyes again, she remained crouched over, perfectly still. Thoughts of Oliver settled out on top of the concoction of topics and questions in her mind. Emma sighed inwardly. I can't avoid thinking about him anymore, she decided. This is just so new and scary. I'm not even sure what's happening let alone what I want to happen. I need to figure this out now, that's the only fair thing to do. But how can I do that when I have to solve this mystery about my broom?  
  
Keeping her eyes closed tightly, Emma sank onto her back and pulled the rough blanket up over her head. "I've always been suspicious of that broom," she said quietly to herself. She thought for a moment and then continued to babble out loud. "It was supposed to turn me into a great quidditch player like my ancestors. But did it do that? No, it turned me into a laughingstock! The question is, why? Did the curse come from someone at Hogwarts or my family? Did my family know about the enchantment? Do I come from a long line of liars and cheaters? I just can't imagine my dad being part of a big scam like that. As obsessive as he might be about quidditch he wouldn't try to win unfairly. Just like Oliver. Come to think of it, my dad and Oliver are a lot alike. I bet they would get along . . . I've completely lost my train of thought!" Emma sighed, frustrated - there was too much to sort through. She needed help.  
  
Emma tried again to sit up and this time when she opened her eyes the room remained clear. Immediately, however, she wished she hadn't opened them -- Davies stood in the doorway.  
  
"What do you want?" Emma demanded, struggling to get out of bed so she could stand up to face him. Her head began to spin again, forcing her to remain in her more vulnerable position sitting on the bed.  
  
"I can't come to check on one of my beaters?" Davies stayed in the doorway in his usual pose - leaning casually against the wall with his arms folded.  
  
"Well it might be okay if you actually cared about your team," Emma replied, determined to hold her ground despite the swirling and the torrent of thoughts in her mind.  
  
Davies lips formed into a frightening grin. "Let me tell you something, princess. I care very much about my team. That's exactly why I want you off it. To think of the trouble you could cause - it makes me sick." Suddenly the strange smile faded and his face appeared normal again. "So get better, Emma."  
  
He turned to leave and Emma could only stare at him, completely unsure of how to respond to his unusual behavior. Davies didn't usually attack her so directly or have such rapid mood swings.  
  
"What are you doing here, Davies?" Oliver's uncharacteristically gruff voice broke Emma out of her state of shock. She couldn't see the two quidditch captains because they were outside the door.  
  
"Just came to visit a fellow team member," Davies replied, his voice still calm. "Well you've had your little visit, now go!" Emma winced at Oliver's angry voice, worried he would start a fight with the much larger Davies. But, she noted with relief, Davies didn't seem to want to fight.  
  
"Whatever you want, Wood. But I would be careful if I were you. There's more at stake here than you realize." Emma heard steady retreating footsteps and hoped they belonged to Davies. Sure enough, a moment later Oliver appeared in the room.  
  
"Emma!" he exclaimed, running to her bedside. "Did he hurt you?"  
  
Emma had to smile at his face which was contorted with concern. "It's okay. He scared me a little but he didn't hurt me."  
  
Oliver's facial features remained twisted as he sank down on the edge of Emma's bed. Emma pushed at his eyebrows until they regained their normal position.  
  
"What are you doing?" Oliver asked.  
  
"Making you look normal. Your face is much cuter when you don't look like the world is coming to an end."  
  
Oliver blushed and smiled shyly. "Thanks. Anyway, what did Davies do that scared you?"  
  
Emma shrugged and started to run her fingers through her tangled hair. She suddenly felt self-conscious about her battered appearance. Oliver looked perfect, as usual, and although she didn't want to admit it, Emma found that intimidating. "He was meaner than usual. And he had the oddest expression on his face - like he wasn't himself. I don't know."  
  
"Well, I'll try to keep an eye on him. You look like you're ready to get out of here," he commented, smiling stunningly at Emma.  
  
Emma squirmed as the tingling, an effect of his smile, began in her stomach and then spread throughout the rest of her body. "Yeah, I think I am," she replied, peering down at her hands. "As soon as Madam Pomfrey gets here I'm going to ask to leave. Maybe tonight we can talk about the broom."  
  
"After quidditch practice. I have to get the team back out there. And then tomorrow we'll get you back out there too. You don't have much time to be ready and we still have a long ways to go. Of course I don't have much time to be ready either. I can't believe the game is so soon! What was I thinking, putting off practice . . ." Oliver rattled on about quidditch while Emma tried not to laugh. It was good to have a more normal Oliver back. 


	4. In Which There Are Some Kisses

That night Oliver panicked when he realized how little time the team had before their game with Slytherin. Oliver pushed the team even harder than usual, and didn't allow them a second of spare time. During meals he even forced the team to sit together so he could coach them on strategy while they ate. Oliver only took time off for Emma's flying lessons, and, when Emma could convince him to sit still, to do his homework. In the chaos of preparation for the quidditch match, the mystery of Emma's broom was put aside. Emma was relieved, not sure that she wanted to figure out the truth. During the day she was so busy with flying lessons, Ravenclaw team practice, and classes that she rarely thought about the broom. At night, however, she could think of nothing else, and often got out of bed to pace in front of the fire as she tried to determine who would want to curse her. It kept coming down to Davies whose behavior remained strange - he fluctuated between moods so rapidly that Emma often felt like she was still feeling the after-effects of Professor Lupin's potion. As Emma monitored Davies' behavior she slowly allowed herself to see that he was a generally nice guy. Although distant and awkward, he treated the rest of the team well and seemed to genuinely care about them. However, aside from her initial reasons for thinking that he disliked her she couldn't see any reason why he would want her off the team.  
  
Just a few days before the match Oliver received some news that caused Emma to forget even about Davies - Gryffindor would be playing Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin. Oliver more than panicked at the last minute change and it took every bit of effort from both Emma and Katie to keep him from physically hurting himself. The day of the match the weather was almost as foul as the day of Emma's accident, and at breakfast Oliver looked even paler than when he'd first heard about her terrible crash.  
  
"I don't think he's going to make it," Emma said to Penelope as they walked outside into the pouring rain. Emma was wrapped up in a magical blanket that absorbed water and she carried a huge umbrella. Madam Pomfrey hadn't wanted her to go outside to watch the match, fearing that the "deadly cold" would return. Emma insisted that a cold, no matter how long it lasted, would not kill her, but still accepted several doses of potion and the blanket from the concerned nurse.  
  
"He always overreacts," Percy answered for Penelope, bravely shielding her under a ratty umbrella. "Oliver didn't sleep all last night but I just let him be. It's better to just leave him to worry, I should know after so much time . . ."  
  
Penelope rolled her eyes at Emma who couldn't conceal a snorting laugh.  
  
"Are you girls laughing at me!" Percy exclaimed. "Really now, there's no reason for that. Just because I'm a sensitive chap doesn't mean you have to make fun of me . . ." Penelope consoled Percy while Emma smiled to herself.  
  
The three of them slowly made there way to the stands - it was hard to move among all the people being tossed about by the ruthless wind and rain. Finally though, they were seated. Emma watched Penelope snuggle under Percy's arm to keep warm and felt a little sad. It would have been nice to have Oliver there - not to cuddle with of course, but to hold the umbrella and block the wind and . . . well, maybe to cuddle with. Emma pushed the thought to the back of her mind and focused on the field. It was impossible to follow the action of the game. Emma knew that Gryffindor was ahead only because she could occasionally catch a few words from Lee Jordan over the roar of the rain. At some point though there was an obvious hush in the stands and Emma strained to see what was going on. Two distant blurry figures sped towards the ground - Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory chasing the snitch! Emma held her breath, willing Harry to catch it. Suddenly, one of the figures tumbled towards the ground even faster, obviously no longer in control of his broom. Emma heard gasps all around her and realized that her own mouth was hanging open and her heart pounding wildly. Who had fallen? Was he alright?  
  
In moments she was caught up in a wild mob as everyone tried to get down to the field. For several moments she was shoved and stepped on, crushed by bodies from all sides. Finally she emerged on the field. Emma looked around wildly - a few feet away she saw the Gryffindor team huddled around a frail-looking figure: Harry Potter. Emma squeezed her eyes shut, remembering the pain she had woken up to after her accident. That poor boy, she thought. When she opened her eyes the crowd had dispersed - everyone was trudging back to Hogwarts. She saw the three chasers and the Weasley twins dejectedly following a cot bearing their star seeker. But where was Oliver?  
  
Singing almost drunkenly to himself, Oliver let the scalding water poor over his face and drain down his weak and aching limbs. Steam billowed upwards, forming dense clouds that invaded Oliver's lungs. Finally, unable to stand the intense heat and choking steam, he slammed his hand against the shower handle and fell against the wall, gasping for breath.  
  
How can I face anyone after this? he wondered. Ever since he'd seen Harry plunge from his broom he had only been able to register two thoughts - "we've lost" and "I've caused another one of my friends to get hurt." They would likely loose the Cup now. It was his final year, his final hope, and he wanted to win more than anything. But first Emma almost got killed and now Harry, the star of the team. What would be worse - loosing the Cup or witnessing more injuries?  
  
"When did I become so sensitive anyway?" Oliver wondered out loud, pulling a towel from over the shower door and beginning to roughly dry his throbbing body. But he knew the answer - since he'd met Emma. "Is that bad?" he asked, stepping out from the sauna-like shower into the frigid air of the locker room. For six years he had sacrificed friendships, classwork, and fun for quidditch and he had thought that it made him happy. He loved quidditch and would never give it up, but suddenly he was experiencing all kinds of things that he had been missing as well as realizing just how damaging his obsession with the sport could be.  
  
Now fully clothed, Oliver sank onto a bench and rested his head against the lockers behind him. He didn't even know which thought to deal with first - Emma, her broom, how to win the Quidditch Cup, Harry's injury . . .  
  
"Wood? Are you in here?" Emma coughed and pushed open the door to the locker room a little further.  
  
Oliver looked up to see her smiling with relief, her short hair dripping and her face glittering with streaks of rain. "I've been looking everywhere for you," she explained, pulling her blanket more tightly around her body and shuffling towards Oliver. "The whole team went back to Hogwarts, what are you doing still here?"  
  
Oliver almost couldn't look into her frantic, imploring eyes, but she sat down next to him, forcing him to. "I don't know what to say to them," Oliver said quietly.  
  
"It doesn't matter what you say to them, just that you're there. You're the captain after all!" Even Emma noticed how similar her words were to the reprimanding words Oliver had once said about Davies refusing to help Emma with her flying.  
  
Oliver winced and shook his head. "Quidditch captains are human too, you know." Emma touched his shoulder and bent her head so she could look at him straight on. "I know. I'm sorry."  
  
Without fully realizing what he was doing, Oliver pulled away from her touch. Emma sank back, sighing. "What are you afraid of?" Emma asked.  
  
Oliver looked up at her, biting his bottom lip. "Myself," he replied, quietly. "Look at what my obsession with winning is doing to my teammates and my friends! But that's not even the worst part - the worst part is that I still want to win!"  
  
Emma, startled by his outburst, suddenly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Inside the magical blanket she was dry and warm and Oliver relaxed more completely than he had in six years. "I don't blame you for my accident," Emma said soothingly. "And I doubt Harry blames you for his. He lost control in the storm and got hit by a bludger. There's nothing you could have done to stop it. You know that these things happen during quidditch games. And it's okay that you still want to win, you should want to win. You may be obsessed but you're a good captain. The team knows that and they're used to it. So don't worry."  
  
Oliver was too overwhelmed by her closeness and openness to respond. They sat in silence for a moment until Emma said, "Oliver you are freezing. Isn't there a blanket or something in here that you could wrap up in?" Her voice was tentative, confused. They both knew it was the first time she had ever called him by his first name instead of the more distancing "Wood."  
  
"I looked, there's nothing that's dry," Oliver told her. "But it's okay, you're warm."  
  
"Oliver, I . . ." Emma broke off, pulling away and peering into his eyes. She sat frozen, her mouth still slightly open. Oliver tucked his hand behind her neck and slowly leaned forward. He kissed her lightly, but lingered until Emma pulled away.  
  
"What was that?" Emma asked, her eyes wide with the beginnings of panic.  
  
"I don't really know," Oliver replied, his mind still hazy and strangely calm.  
  
"Well, I think I'd better go now." Emma hastily got up and gathered her blanket around herself. As she ran towards the door Oliver called out, "Emma, I'm sorry!"  
  
"We'll talk later!" she answered, just as the door slammed behind her.  
  
Oliver shook his head. Just one more thing to think about - that was the last thing they needed.  
  
Emma spent an almost sleepless night coughing and tossing restlessly, her cold flaring up just like her confused thoughts had the moment Oliver kissed her. At some point Penelope appeared at the side of her bed with a glass of water which Emma accepted gratefully. She later suspected that Penelope mixed a sleeping potion with the water but, knowing that she wouldn't have taken it if she'd known, decided that Penelope made a good choice in giving it to her.  
  
In the morning Emma's head felt cleared but her cold was still a degree worse than the day before. "Madam Pomfrey will tar and feather me," Emma grumbled, blowing her nose.  
  
"You were out too long looking for Oliver," Penelope said, taking the dirty tissue from Emma and throwing it away.  
  
"I know." Emma sighed and then looked at Penelope. "I can't believe you touched that tissue."  
  
Penelope laughed. "Motherly instincts. Are you ready for breakfast?"  
  
"I guess." Emma didn't feel ready for anything, especially for facing Oliver, but she followed Penelope to the Great Hall anyway. As soon as she saw him, sitting at the Gryffindor table all by himself, she felt her stomach churning and had to take a deep breath to keep from throwing up. How could I have just left him like that yesterday, she asked herself, desperately trying to control the shame that continued to disrupt her insides. I have to talk to him, but first . . .  
  
Emma dodged Penelope who was now preoccupied with Percy and approached Katie. Luckily Katie was sitting at the opposite end of the table from Oliver, although Emma was still nervous about Angelina and Alicia who sat on either side of Katie like undersized bodyguards.  
  
"Emma!" Katie greeted her with a broad smile. "How are you doing?" She shifted so that Emma could squeeze onto the bench between her and Angelina but Emma shook her head and remained standing. Angelina glared at Emma and blatantly moved back into the space that Katie had cleared.  
  
"I'm okay, except for this bloody cold," Emma replied. "I was hoping that you and I could talk later. Maybe before you have practice tonight."  
  
Katie's telltale features showed that she was confused and unsure about this suggestion but also that she was sympathetic. "Sure. I'll meet you by the lake after dinner."  
  
"Okay, great." Emma turned and walked towards the opposite end of the Ravenclaw table. Behind her she heard Angelina say "Why are you going? You don't know what she wants."  
  
Emma walked more quickly so she wouldn't have to hear any more of the conversation. The day passed slowly as she tried to avoid Oliver in the hallways and coughed and sneezed her way through classes. Professor Snape banished her to a corner during Potions, claiming that she would contaminate the class' work. Professor Lupin, however, offered her another draught of his potion, and although Emma was certain he had said it was for balancing her emotions he told her that day that it would help fight bacteria. Finally dinner was over and she hurried outside for her meeting with Katie. It was another dismal day although it had stopped raining and Emma pulled her cloak tightly around herself to keep out the angry wind. Katie already stood by the lake, watching the giant squid skate lazily across the water.  
  
"Thanks for coming," Emma said.  
  
Katie turned to face her, a hesitant expression on her face. "What's going on?"  
  
Emma paused, biting the inside of her cheek as she tried to phrase what she wanted to say. "I'm not very good at this kind of thing - I don't have a lot of friends and I guess I'm not really used to talking openly with people. But you've been really good to me through all of this and I want to be honest with you."  
  
Katie nodded, her facial features softening. Emma, relieved, continued. "I should have said something about this before but I didn't know what would happen. I heard you that day you were visiting me in the hospital wing. What you said about Oliver - how you thought he fancied me and how you really fancied him and how you wished none of it would come out into the open. When I heard you explain it all I thought that you were right, it would be best if everything stayed hidden. So I pretended I had still been unconscious. Katie, I'm sorry."  
  
Katie laughed and Emma thought it was a very strange response. "Is that all?" Katie asked. "I thought, well I don't know what I thought, that you were going to tell me something pretty horrible. . ." "Katie, wait. It's worse than you think." Emma squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to push the words from her mind out into the open. "Oliver kissed me yesterday." She winced, afraid of Katie's response.  
  
Katie's face was strangely blank - Emma could interpret no emotions from it. "What does that mean?" Katie asked, her voice monotone.  
  
"I don't know." Emma shifted her feet in embarrassment, wishing she had more to offer. "That's the worst part. I have no idea what it means."  
  
Katie's eyes were now squeezed tightly shut as she tried to keep her feelings from erupting in streams on her face. "Well I hope you figure it out soon," she said, in a frighteningly bitter voice.  
  
"I want this to work out for both of us! That's why I wanted to talk to you!" Emma explained.  
  
"Well, it can't," Katie shot back. "I'm not going to let him do this to me anymore."  
  
Emma felt weak and defeated as she watched Katie walk away. There really is no way to work all of this out, she decided, tiredly trudging back to Hogwarts.  
  
Freezing but sweaty and caked with mud, Katie stumbled back from quidditch practice with Angelina and Alicia.  
  
"I swear Wood was out for blood tonight," Angelina grumbled.  
  
"He couldn't even skip practice while Harry is in hospital!" Alicia added.  
  
"He was right though," Katie replied and they approached Gryffindor. "Owl post," she said to the Fat Lady and the picture swung backwards. "We do have to keep practicing despite Harry's injury, especially so that we're more prepared to deal with this weather." Angelina and Alicia made murmuring noises that indicated they didn't agree but were too tired to respond further. Alicia left Katie and Angelina for the fourth year dormitory and the two fifth year chasers tromped up the stairs to their dormitory.  
  
"Katie, I know something is bothering you - you wouldn't look at or talk to Wood all night and you were playing ever harder than usual." Angelina kicked off her disgusting shoes - the quidditch field was a muddy wasteland after all the rain - and propped her broom up in a corner.  
  
Katie didn't at all feel like talking about Oliver. The news from Emma of three hours before still pounded in her head to the rhythm of her accelerated pulse rate. She had only made it through practice with the help of a forbidden charm. Intoxicating Charms were dangerous and unpredictable and therefore prohibited at Hogwarts. Katie, however, so far simply felt giddy and light-headed and was enjoying those mild initial effects of the charm.  
  
"Nothing is bothering me," Katie said, her voice escalating and falling as she spoke. "Oliver can do whatever he wants and that's just fine with me."  
  
Angelina narrowed her eyes at Katie. "If you say so . . ."  
  
"Oh I do." Katie smiled calmly and finished changing her clothes. Her thick hair had half-fallen out of its long, tight braid and was damp and muddy, but she didn't try to fix it.  
  
"Well I'm going down to the common room," Angelina announced, still eying Katie suspiciously. Katie knew that Angelina must have an overwhelming amount of homework since she was letting Katie go without fully explaining her strange behavior.  
  
"Okay, I think I'll stay up here," Katie sang.  
  
"Maybe you should get some sleep," Angelina told her. "I think you're losing your mind."  
  
Although Katie was jumping around in circles singing "Lost my mind, lost my mind," Angelina left. A few minutes later Katie snuck through the common room and escaped back through the portrait hole. For the first time ever, Katie was searching for Davies. Katie sprinted up and down hallways, dodging into classrooms and peering behind statues. She was propelled by a store of magical energy until the Intoxicating Charm began to wear off. "Where are you!" she exclaimed, just as her legs gave out and she crumbled to the floor. "How is it that you always find me but I can't find you?"  
  
"I'm right here," Davies replied. "All you had to do was turn around."  
  
Katie pushed herself to her knees and weakly turned around. Davies stood over her, a concerned expression reflected in his eyes. "Roger," she said faintly, pulling her legs forward and sinking back against the wall.  
  
"You look terrible," Davies replied, sitting down beside her. "What did that idiot do to you?"  
  
"It's not so much what he did to me as what I did to myself. I used an Intoxicating Charm and now my head is throbbing." Katie pressed her hands to her head trying to relieve some of the jarring pain. It felt like a crack had begun on one side of her skull and was slowly growing.  
  
"It's wearing off. You ran so much that you used it up. But that's good. The pain will be gone in a minute." "Got a lot of experience with them?" Katie asked, her head now burrowed between her legs.  
  
"Once was enough," Davies replied, his voice quiet and sympathetic.  
  
Katie groaned as a last burst of pain exploded in her forehead. For a full minute she thought she would never be able to lift her head again, but finally the pain passed. "I'm never using an Intoxicating Charm again. That hurt like - I don't know what, but worse than getting hit in the head with a bludger."  
  
Davies smiled at her mildly. "Well the effects aren't totally gone yet -- just the pain. Now tell me what he did that made you use the charm."  
  
A new pain began in Katie's head as she remembered Emma and Oliver. "He kissed Emma," she explained, beating her abused head against her knees.  
  
Davies sighed and let his head thud against the wall. "You knew this would happen sooner or later."  
  
Katie looked up at him. "In my head I did. But my heart still hoped things might work out differently." Even in the dark Katie could see his sympathetic expression clearly. But there was something else in his eyes as well that she couldn't figure out. They sat very close together, almost touching, but to Katie the tiny space between them felt like a huge canyon. She physically ached to cross that gap and to feel the comfort that she somehow knew would come from his touch.  
  
"You and your heart." Davies shook his head. "It finally betrayed you."  
  
"I tried so hard, but I just couldn't fix things. Now look at me." Katie's eyes met Davies' eyes and suddenly she felt a rush of feeling in her numbed muscles. Davies' chisled facial features were softened by a tenderness that frightened her.  
  
"I am looking at you and all I see is that you did the best you could."  
  
Before she fully knew what she was doing Katie tangled her fingers in his wild hair and kissed him. Davies remained almost frozen as she had when he kissed her, but he gasped slightly. She felt him falter, his fingertips resting on her neck, and waited eagerly for him to return her kiss. But suddenly he pulled away.  
  
"Katie I can't let you do this!" he exclaimed. Katie sat half way on his lap, one hand still knotted in his hair, the other clutching his shoulder. "You are just reacting to the charm. Tomorrow you're going to wake up and wonder why you were kissing me and realize that you still like Oliver - that is if you even remember which you probably won't because of the charm. And you're using me, which just isn't fair," Davies said, pulling her hands away from him and shifting her back to the floor. Katie stared at him, breathing heavily in her anger. She wanted to hurt him, to see his handsome face bleed and his caring eyes marked by bruises. Darn his ability to control himself. Darn him for being right. "You bloody hypocrite! Using you! It's okay for you to kiss me twice for no reason at all but when I kiss you suddenly you're all concerned about me getting hurt? This has always been about you -- you never cared about me. My heart is shattered and whether or not you are here I am going to curl up and bleed out the broken remains of my heart. But I am asking you to please help me just this once."  
  
Davies had never looked so stricken. "Come here," he told her, pulling her completely into his lap and cradling her head against his chest. Katie wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into his cleanliness and warmth. "Although I am on record as saying that I think this is a bad idea," he added.  
  
"Whatever you want, Roger." Katie knew he was right but lacked the strength or will to stop herself from committing such a pleasant and comforting error.  
  
"Do you remember the first time I kissed you?" Davies asked, stroking her hair. The mud in her hair and on her face left a strange imprint on his impeccable appearance.  
  
"Vaguely," Katie replied although it was one of her clearest memories.  
  
"You were only a third year. You were so upset about Oliver after the first day of quidditch practice. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to fix everything so I kissed you."  
  
Katie laughed. "And I was so startled that I hit you. Sorry about that."  
  
"That's okay, I deserved it." Suddenly Katie was sprinkling little kisses across his face with tempting confidence.  
  
"Katie," Davies managed to say, holding her head still with both of his hands. "I never should have kissed you those times and I'm sorry. As much as I would like to let you kiss me now I'm not going to be able to resist you much longer. If we kiss it should be under better circumstances than this. Now I think I should get you back to Gryffindor."  
  
Katie sighed and nuzzled her face against his chest, her fantasy solution to the hurt caused by Oliver and Emma crushed by reality. "You're right. Thank you. But I'll go back to Gryffindor by myself," she said, not wanting at all to move from his lap but knowing the moment of escape was over.  
  
"You have no idea where you are right now," Davies replied, briefly resting his face against her head. "There's no way you can get back to Gryffindor."  
  
Katie laughed. "You're right, I'm completely lost."  
  
Davies effortlessly stood up with Katie in his arms. When he set her feet back on the ground her arms were still wrapped around his neck and they stood for a moment, hugging tightly. "C'mon," Davies whispered, releasing her hesitantly. "I'll walk you back."  
  
Late that night Davies examined his reflection in a large mirror in the bathroom that he and his fellow seventh year Ravenclaws had taken over two years before. The other Ravenclaws in his year claimed that they had rights to the bathroom because Davies spent so much time in it. They badgered Davies constantly - buying him personal mirrors and hair spray, pasting pictures of him all over the bathroom, and frequently telling him that he looked fine even though he rarely asked if he did. Davies had given up on defending himself after third year and good-naturedly tolerated their teasing. The truth was that he was mildly obsessive-compulsive and the disorder manifested itself most obviously in his attention to his appearance.  
  
Despite this obsession he still had not washed off the dirt streaked on his sweater and face after his encounter with Katie. After dropping a clingy Katie off at Gryffindor he wandered around Hogwarts for two hours, eventually finding his way back to "his" bathroom. Davies suffered from terrible insomnia as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder and spent many hours of the night exploring the halls of Hogwarts. His roommates were more surprised to find him asleep in the dormitory in the morning than to find his bed empty. He slept anywhere he could actually manage to sleep - in empty classrooms, the floor of the Great Hall, the Ravenclaw common room, the stairs to his dormitory, and even occasionally in his own bed. After his fifth time being caught in the halls after curfew, Dumbledore had given Davies special permission to be outside of his house at night. Davies took full advantage of this privilege, eventually learning to pass through the halls completely unnoticed by Mrs. Norris, Filch, Peeves, or any professor that might happen to be around. He could follow someone for hours, anticipate where they were going, and plant himself in a location to surprise them - although he rarely used this trick on anyone except Katie.  
  
He thought about Katie now as he turned on the water in a sink and let it warm his freezing hands. He glanced up at the mirror above the sink plastered with pictures of himself all grooming themselves. He determined that the smudges of mud on his face probably came from Katie's nose and cheeks brushing his face as she kissed him. Time to wash the feeling of her lips away, he decided, scrubbing his face with the warm water. But it did very little good - Katie was still in his lap, nuzzling her face against his chest and begging to be kissed.  
  
"C'mon, Davies," he said quietly, leaving the bathroom and walking back to Ravenclaw. "You know full well that she didn't know what she was doing. Tomorrow everything will be back to normal and she's going to want Wood again. You need to think about Emma and getting her off the team." He entered Ravenclaw and slowly ascended the stairs to his dormitory, feeling strangely tired. As he climbed into his own bed for only the third night that month he started to think about plans to get Emma off the team once and for all.  
  
At exactly 3:07 A.M. the Intoxicating Charm wore off completely and Katie jolted awake. Did I kiss Davies tonight? she wondered, her heart pounding and her body sweaty. She turned over to stare at the magical stars covering her dormitory ceiling. They were like real stars, tiny and distant, and even forming real constellations.  
  
I must have been dreaming, she decided. Why would I have kissed him - I don't like him, I like Oliver. But then she remembered Emma and the meeting by the lake and the Intoxicating Charm. That's why I can't remember exactly what happened, she realized. That stupid charm! What was I thinking!  
  
Katie pulled her blanket over her head trying to remember the evening's events. It was no use, the charm had completely blocked out her memory of everything that happened since she first cast it on herself. She knew that sometimes the memories were triggered later but in the meantime there was nothing she could do.  
  
How am I going to be able to face him? I have no idea what happened and I can't just walk up and say "By the way, did I kiss you last night?" And Oliver and Emma - what am I going to do about them?  
  
Despite her natural calm level-headedness, Katie felt overwhelmed and lost. It took her two hours to fall back asleep and when she finally did she felt no closer to finding any solutions to the mess of problems waiting for her in the morning.  
  
Emma fell asleep around the time that Katie woke up. She had been sitting in the Gryffindor common room in front of the fire, sorting through the events of the past few days. For awhile, Emma felt like giving up. She was out of patience, willpower, and goodnaturedness, although she didn't have much of those qualities to begin with.  
  
"Since when did I become open and friendly and actually have enough interaction with people to have problems?" Emma asked the dying embers in the fireplace.  
  
She knew the answer was since she'd met Oliver and that she was happier now despite all the issues she had to deal with. "Relationships take work!" she exclaimed. But as she pondered Oliver and Katie and the still impending mystery of her broom she decided that she could handle this new dynamic to her life. It would simply require a redirection of her natural stubbornness and take charge attitude.  
  
Emma smiled confidently to herself as she sank into bed. The temporarily wimpy and emotional Emma had lived out her unhelpful existence. A new Emma was born.  
  
Oliver slept through the night peacefully, a pawn in the game about to unfold.  
  
"C'mon Wood, it wasn't a fair game. We really should have a rematch."  
  
"For the last time, Diggory, don't pity me! Bludgers are part of quidditch and when a player gets hit with one the game goes on with or without that player. I don't want a rematch!"  
  
It was after dinner on the following day and Cedric and Oliver had been carrying on for several minutes. Cedric, who was leaning over the Gryffidor table in the Great Hall, resting his head on his arms, now sank down onto the bench opposite Oliver. "Okay, it's your call. How is Emma doing?" he asked quietly, looking strangely conspiratorial. Oliver, startled by the question and Cedric's friendliness, glanced around as if he expected there to be someone else that the Hufflepuff quidditch captain was talking to. But only the boy's combined fan club stood nearby, dumbstruck by their luck at finding the two handsome quidditch captains together.  
  
"Well, um, that is, she's fine," Oliver replied. He hadn't spoken to Emma since their kiss, however, and really didn't know how she was. He was beginning to think that he had scared her off for good, and not having much experience with these matters, didn't have a clue what to do about it.  
  
Cedric nodded and narrowed his gray eyes thoughtfully. "Fine beater, that one. Saw how much your coaching helped her. Pity she's on Davies' team."  
  
Cedric's face showed a very uncharacteristic shadow of anger and Oliver, in an amazing feat of feminine-like deduction, wondered if Cedric's dislike of Davies had anything to do with the fact that Davies' was so fond of Cho Chang. It seemed that Davies' list of enemies was growing. But after only a moment the anger on Cedric's face melted into a bright smile.  
  
"Oh well. I shouldn't go making judgments of people. Don't know Davies really. Don't suppose anyone does."  
  
Oliver thought that Katie seemed to know Davies quite well, but he wasn't sure why. Feeling surprisingly comfortable talking to Cedric, Oliver made a hasty decision to take advantage of the popular boy's experience with girls. "Um, can I ask you something Diggory?" he said very, very quietly, uncomfortably aware of the giggling girls behind them. Cedric looked surprised but nodded agreeably.  
  
"Well suppose, just suppose that you thought you fancied this girl but you weren't really sure because you'd been friends for awhile, and then one day without really meaning to you kiss her and then she leaves rather quickly and doesn't talk to you for several days. What would you make of that?"  
  
Cedric looked completely baffled and blinked his smoky eyes several times in succession. "Well, hypothetically speaking of course, I would try to talk to the girl and figure out what happened. Repair the friendship, you see, and find out if there's anything more than friendship."  
  
Oliver nodded slowly. "Okay, 'cause I just wanted to know, well, because . . ." Cedric held up his hands indicating than an explanation was not necessary.  
  
"What do we have here?" a low voice suddenly asked. "Quidditch captain conspiracies? I wouldn't think that you would want to associate with this loser, Diggory."  
  
Oliver glared at Davies but Cedric only examined him mildly. The flock of girls hovering near the table suddenly doubled in size.  
  
"It's more than one could hope for," one fourth year whispered in awe. "All three of them at once. I never thought I'd see the day." None of the girls seemed to mind that a fight was brewing between Hogwarts' top three crushes - so long as they were all together they could be hurtling insults at their admirers for all the fan club cared.  
  
"Oliver let it go," Cedric advised as Oliver rose to his feet and pulled out his wand.  
  
"Let it go!" Oliver exclaimed. "This, this miscreant has been pushing me and my friends around all year! I will not let it go until I see him lying flat on his pretty boy face!"  
  
A murmur erupted among the crowd of excited females. It seemed to be a lovely show put on just for them. There were a few gasps, however, from indignant Davies' fans. Davies had drawn his wand as well, but calmly. He was on Cedric's side of the table but that didn't dwarf the fact that he was far bigger and stronger than Oliver. "I have to push you around!" he said in a controlled but growling voice. "You're too stupid to see what's right in front of your face!"  
  
A few boys were now joining the mass of fidgeting girls, anxious to see if a full-blown duel would break out. Cedric was now on his feet, rapidly surveying the dining hall for professors while trying to calm the furious quidditch captains. "I'm sure there is just some misunderstanding. Both of you should put your wands away and . . ."  
  
Both the captains slammed their wands on the table at the same time, copper- colored sparks shooting out of Davies'. "He's an emotionally challenged imbecile without the decency to look out for those around him!" Davies screamed at Cedric who was too startled by the content of the insult to respond.  
  
"And he's a prejudiced ape who can't even coach his own team members!" Oliver shouted, also at Cedric, who looked like he didn't appreciate being the new target of the fight. The two enraged captains continued to hurtle insults through Cedric until a pair of girls came hurtling across the Great Hall, each one grabbing one of the boys by his arm. "That is enough!" Emma exclaimed just as Katie shouted "Stop it this instant!" Oliver and Davies, both with chests heaving, looked at the two girls, shocked.  
  
"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Katie said harshly.  
  
"In front of all these people! You're quidditch captains for goodness sake, you should behave better than this," Emma added.  
  
Oliver and Davies sank onto the Gryffindor benches while a relieved Cedric smiled at Katie and Emma. "Well then, I think I'll be going," he said, making a remarkably polite departure. Several girls followed him, and the others, angry about the appearance of the obviously favored Katie and Emma, left huffily. The male spectators also disappeared now that the fight was apparently over.  
  
"Honestly," Emma was saying to Oliver, "What if Professor Snape had seen? You could be kicked off the team." Oliver stared at his hands, unwilling to talk with Davies still present.  
  
Katie dropped Davies' arm, unsure what had possessed her to interfere with the fight in the first place. Why had she grabbed his arm and not Oliver's? She thought she felt the slightest tinge of a memory now as she examined Davies' stubborn face. She felt something soft and peaceful and then a brief tingle in her lips. Katie touched them for a moment before saying harshly, "Go back to Ravenclaw, Davies. You have no right to interfere here."  
  
Davies squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head before giving Katie a biting look and regally leaving the Great Hall. Several first years scampered out of his way like a flock of ducklings. Katie watched him go, feeling ashamed and sick inside.  
  
Emma and Oliver were now talking quietly together so Katie slipped away. But as she left Emma called after her, "Katie, please. We'll talk later!"  
  
"I didn't know what to do," Emma explained. Shortly after the fight she and Oliver were walking around the Hogwarts grounds, both cloakless and shivering. The sky was gray and half-heartedly drizzling on them. Emma had given up on trying to get rid of her cold since nothing seemed to be helping anyway. Perhaps, she thought, if she did things that were supposed to worsen a cold it would confuse the bloody thing and it would go away.  
  
Oliver tightened his arms around his chest, tying to conserve heat. "So that's why you ran way. Not because you were totally disgusted or didn't want to be with me  
  
"No, not at all," Emma assured him as they reached the quidditch field. Two unidentifiable quidditch players zoomed around one set of goals but didn't see Oliver and Emma far below. Despite the rain, they climbed up into the stands and sat on one of the wet bleachers.  
  
"Well, I didn't know what to do either," Oliver confessed, watching one of the players - apparently a keeper - miss a quaffle. "He should have gotten that one," Oliver muttered.  
  
Emma nodded her agreement and then tugged on Oliver's arm. "Pay attention to me for awhile - really pay attention. We need to work this out."  
  
"Sorry," Oliver replied, blushing slightly as he focused his attention on Emma. "You're right, we do need to work this out."  
  
Emma coughed, rolled her eyes about the persistent cold, and said, "I think that whatever happened is not something we're prepared to deal with yet. We have so much going on - the broom mystery, quidditch practice and flying lessons, classes - that I don't think we can handle anything else. I'm willing to wait and see what happens with our relationship later. Right now I just really need you as a friend."  
  
Oliver, mesmerized by Emma's eyes like he had been the first day they met, smiled brilliantly at her. "I can't believe how easy you've made all of this sound. You are one wicked girl."  
  
Temporarily stunned by his smile, Emma pulled herself together and then laughed. Oliver raised his eyebrows, setting off a tingle in Emma's stomach and causing her to giggle again.  
  
"What is so funny?" Oliver demanded, poking Emma's shoulder.  
  
Emma giggled again but managed to say, "Nothing - just that some things never change. I will always go numb when you smile at me."  
  
Oliver grinned shyly. "And I will never be able to think straight when I look in your eyes."  
  
They were quiet for several awkward moments, both watching the two quidditch players who were now chasing each other around the field, dodging around goalposts and diving playfully towards the grass below. Finally Emma said, "So, you never said if you agreed with me about waiting and seeing where our relationship goes."  
  
"Oh!" Oliver exclaimed. "Yes, I think that's the best thing to do, especially with everything we both have to do. And I hope that I can help you any way you need."  
  
"I'm glad you said that!" Emma said so quickly that Oliver felt like he had gotten broomlash - a condition that resulted when a flier flipped forwards on their broom, getting smacked both in the face and behind by their broom.  
  
"By any chance were you waiting for me to say that?" Oliver asked innocently.  
  
"Well, anything like that would have done," Emma replied, not showing the slightest embarrassment or remorse about the fact that she had essentially set Oliver up. She charged ahead with her explanation like and unrestrained rhinoceros. "I really want to start solving this mystery about my broom. I don't know who's been cursing it, but first I want to figure out if my family knew about it. I sent an owl to our house elf asking her to send me all my mum and dad's old diaries from school. Even though my mum's a muggle, she and my dad knew each other when he was at Hogwarts - it's a long story. But anyway, I might be able to find something out from the diaries, that is if I can figure out how to read them." Emma paused in her stampede of information and Oliver quickly jumped in before she could start charging again.  
  
"We'll figure it all out, Emma. But don't get too far ahead of yourself," he said. He was feeling a bit used.  
  
"Sorry. I think seeing you fight with Davies got me even more riled up. Even though it was stupid for you to fight with him like that," she paused, glaring at him, "I couldn't help but wish I was in your position. I don't know how to deal with him anymore! And he's probably only going to be worse now." Emma kicked the bleacher in front of them, scowling.  
  
Oliver took her by the shoulders and turned her so she was looking at him. "First we'll solve the mystery. Then, somehow, we'll deal with Davies. There's no use getting frustrated about him again right now."  
  
Emma took a deep breath, suppressed her wild temper, and nodded. "Okay, you're right."  
  
Oliver ruffled her wet hair. "When do you think the diaries will get here?"  
  
Emma examined his hair critically, then began to roughly run her fingers through it, spiking his short brown locks. She smiled to herself as she worked and said, "Hopefully in a week."  
  
"What have you done to my hair?" Oliver asked, trying to sound defiant but obviously quite complacent.  
  
"Spiked it," Emma replied. "I can't resist when a guy's hair is wet - I have to see if it will stick up."  
  
Oliver felt his pointy hair while shaking his head at Emma. She grinned, pleased with his appearance.  
  
"Trying a new hairstyle, are you Oliver?" Oliver looked up to see Cedric and Cho Chang floating in front of him on their brooms. No wonder he kept missing the quaffles, Oliver thought, Cedric is a seeker. But why were two seekers be practicing as a keeper and a chaser?  
  
"I blame Emma for the hair," Oliver replied, and before Emma could protest added, "How did you get out here so fast, Diggory?"  
  
Cedric shrugged. "Needed to cool off after your little row with Davies so I came straight out to the quidditch field. Cho was kind enough to come with me. Cho, oblivious to Emma and Oliver, was beaming at Cedric.  
  
"Well, thanks for stepping in earlier. Sorry you had to be in the middle of things," Oliver said, extending his hand to Cedric.  
  
Cedric goodnaturedly shook Oliver's hand and said, "That's alright. But next time warn me before the row begins."  
  
Oliver laughed and waved as Cedric and Cho sped away on their brooms. Over his shoulder Cedric called, "And I hope you get that other matter sorted out as well!"  
  
"What matter?" Emma demanded of Oliver.  
  
"Oh nothing." Although Emma pestered him for the rest of the evening while they sat in the Great Hall discussing the mystery, Oliver refused to tell her about the other matter.  
  
Emma, determined to solve all of her problems as quickly as possible, followed Katie after breakfast the following morning.  
  
"There's nothing going on between Oliver and me," Emma promised Katie, chasing after the taller and faster girl as she hurried to Transfiguration.  
  
Katie halted abruptly and pulled Emma into a corner. "Okay, you have my attention. Now please don't talk about this in the open. I don't really want the entire school to know that I care about the status of your relationship with Oliver," Katie said tersely. Katie was still hurt but now also felt guilty about her harsh words to Davies the day before. Although before she hadn't cared or noticed how she treated Davies it now mattered for reasons she couldn't understand or explain.  
  
Emma covered her mouth briefly to acknowledge her mistake then whispered, "Sorry, had to get you to listen to me somehow. Seriously though, there is no relationship - we're just friends.  
  
Katie narrowed her eyes. "I believe you. But is this a 'just friends' permanently or a 'just friends' with the possibility of more some day?"  
  
"I don't know, actually. We're waiting to deal with that until later. But Katie, please hang out with us still. You and Oliver have been friends for years and I know that you and I could be good friends. . ."  
  
"Stop!" Katie interrupted. "Okay, okay, okay. I need something to go right these days. But first, tell me your ulterior motive."  
  
Emma pretended to look shocked but when she saw that Katie wasn't buying it she grinned sheepishly. "Katie, I need your help. I know Oliver talked to you before about my broom. He said you were a big help, that you're good at deductive thinking and you know about people at Hogwarts. I'm going to need those kind of skills to crack this case." When Emma wasn't playing baseball with her American cousins she was watching mystery shows with them and it was beginning to show. Katie wasn't sure what "crack this case" meant, but decided to let it go.  
  
"Did Oliver really say all of that?" Katie asked doubtfully.  
  
Emma nodded emphatically. "Well, more or less at least. He didn't use the word deductive, I just like that word. But that is what he said. That's why he asked you for help in the first place."  
  
Katie groaned and dropped her face in her hands. "Nevermind, you shouldn't have told me that. I'm never going to get over him now."  
  
Emma laughed and hooked her arm through Katie's arms. "We'll work on that one. C'mon, you're going to be late for class." 


	5. In Which There Are Unwelcome Discoveries

Emma examined the painful cut on her face in the large mirror in her Ravenclaw dormitory. She sat with her wounded leg stretched out in front of her, leaning against Penelope's bed.  
  
"Ow, ow!" she exclaimed touching the slit part of her lips. She had concentrated while Oliver was cleaning the slash and managed not to cry out although it felt like he was pouring an itching potion in it. He had been very gentle and she allowed herself to be preoccupied with the feel of his fingers brushing her lips since it kept her distracted from the pain. At the time it had only been a device to keep her from showing pain but the fact that she could still feel his touch was beginning to worry her.  
  
"Oh bloody hell," she muttered to herself. She was not in second year anymore - her Oliver Wood days were over, end of story.  
  
"What are you mumbling about?" Penelope asked, coming into the room.  
  
"Nothing," Emma replied, hoisting herself up awkwardly onto her injured leg. "Nothing at all."  
  
Penelope flopped down on her bed while Emma hobbled across the room. In the morning even the deep gash on her leg would be only a scar.  
  
"Did you have a nice talk with Oliver Wood?" Penelope asked, trying to be coy.  
  
Emma spun around and peered at her suspiciously. "Did you have something to do with him coming over to talk to me?"  
  
Penelope brushed her thick red hair nonchalantly, examining a picture of Percy next to her bed. "Mmmm . . . maybe."  
  
"Bugger, Penelope! What did you have to do that for? I don't need his help!" Emma also pulled out a brush, ripping the bristles through her red- blonde, shoulder-length hair. Emma was stunning, not so much because she was beautiful as because she had such unusual looks. Her eyes, of course, shocked everyone, and tended to detract from her unusually dark skin, surprisingly smooth hair, and faint dimples. People were constantly astounded by Emma's looks, discovering one feature at a time and finding themselves preoccupied with that single feature for months. Oliver would actually move on to her nose when he recovered from his obsession with her eyes.  
  
"Well, if he's experienced that temper of your's he's not going to want to help you anyway," Penelope said matter-of-factly, watching her little picture of Percy as it waved and blew her kisses.  
  
Emma sighed. She fell backwards on her bed and stared at the ceiling until her frustration calmed. "It's not that I don't want his help, it's that I don't want to need help. Do you know any other sixth years who can't fly?"  
  
"Well, no. But Oliver is a nice guy. He's not going to make fun of you and he could teach you a lot. Besides, he could use some friends."  
  
Maybe he doesn't want friends, Emma thought. But out loud she said, "Okay. If I see him tomorrow I will ask him."  
  
"Brilliant!" Penelope replied, waving at Percy as he walked out of the picture.  
  
I'll just have to try not to see him tomorrow, Emma decided as she lay in bed trying to sleep an hour later. And I can just learn to fly by myself. 


	6. In Which There Are Unexpected Twists

That evening Emma staked out a well-hidden table in a corner of the library. On two sides shelves of Muggle Studies books walled in the large table. Emma thought most of the books were funny and often pointed out particularly ridiculous parts to Oliver. That night, however, she hardly noticed the books.  
  
Emma stacked ten of the fifteen diaries on one side of the table and spread her homework out on the other. End of term exams were coming and Emma was suddenly panicked. So much had happened that term that she had hardly studied or paid attention in her classes. To calm herself, she took a bottle of potion. Now, sitting across from Oliver with four books open and parchment spread on every available space, she was strangely calm.  
  
"I think I could do this all year long," she told Oliver, pushing stray hair behind her ears. Her short hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail but most of it fell seductively across her face.  
  
Oliver shook his head. "I don't know if I like the way that potion affects you," he replied.  
  
Emma scowled. "It's better than being attacked by me. With the amount of stress I'm going through not even you would be safe."  
  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive. You know I want the potion to help you."  
  
Emma kissed the tip of her index finger and touched the end of his nose. "I know. I just want to act like everything is normal and I don't have this unexplainable condition. Now let me study until Katie gets here."  
  
Oliver nodded and looked down at the miniature quidditch set and still unfinished baseball field in front of him. He had been trying to coax the quidditch players to play baseball but they showed no interest at all. Under the leadership of Sammy Sosa the Ravenclaw team was not doing well. Miniature Davies watched them practice from the stands, smirking.  
  
"You wipe that smile off your face," Oliver said to the tiny Davies, who only winked.  
  
"I could squash you . . ." Oliver muttered, but he was distracted by the miniature Katie. She walked calmly over to Davies, took his arm, and sat with him.  
  
"Emma, I have to ask you about something," Oliver said quietly, leaning over the table.  
  
"What is it?" Emma asked distractedly, turning a page in one of her books. Oliver picked up a scrap of parchment and crumpled it between his fingers. "I talked to Katie today and, well, she said you knew. I wasn't sure how to react so I just wasn't going to say anything but I think I should."  
  
Emma dropped her quill and ink spattered across the table. "What are you trying to tell me?" she asked then smiled sympathetically at the pained expression on his face. "Let me just put you out of your misery. Yes I knew that Katie liked you. I've known since I was in hospital after my accident. I'm just surprised she said something to you." Emma's forehead constricted slightly. "Now what exactly did she say?"  
  
Oliver dropped the crushed piece of parchment and ran his hand over his hair. "She said she wanted to put this behind her," he replied.  
  
Emma released a knot of jealousy she hadn't realized was nagging her. "I'm impressed. Good for her."  
  
Oliver rested his head on his arms and gazed at Emma through narrowed eyelids. "But should I do something? It just seems like I owe her something."  
  
Emma shrugged. "No, I think we should just act like she never said anything. That's probably what she wants."  
  
Oliver sighed. Emma rested her head on the table as well. "I wish you would stop looking at me like that," she whispered. "You are absolutely adorable."  
  
Oliver smiled. "Just playing to my strengths."  
  
Emma stuck her tongue out at him. "Keep that up and your fan club will be back."  
  
"Oh they're not gone. I just use my amazing espionage abilities to avoid them."  
  
Emma snorted and sat up again. "You don't even know what 'espionage' means. You've only heard me use that word and are pretending that you're muggle."  
  
"Oi! You've told me all about it, Miss Emma Baxter. James Bond, Alfred Hitchcock, Sherlock Holmes . . ."  
  
"I am trying to study! If you do not be quiet I am going to drag you into a corner and . . ." she trailed off because Oliver's eyebrows were raised in amusement.  
  
"You'll what?" Oliver asked innocently.  
  
Emma leaned all the way across the table and whispered, "I'll kiss you until you can't see straight."  
  
Oliver grinned. "I've changed my mind. I like the affects of this potion."  
  
"What is going on here?"  
  
Oliver and Emma jolted in surprise but it was only Katie, hovering over them with a jokingly stern look in her eyes. Emma sank back into her chair and Oliver sat up.  
  
"Hey Katie," Emma said, stacking up her books and parchment and pushing them to the side. Katie flopped into the chair behind the diaries and added her four to the stack.  
  
"The first order of business," Emma said, smoothing out a piece of parchment and picking up her quill, "Is the missing diary." Katie and Oliver stared at her blankly.  
  
"Exactly," Emma told them. "There's nothing we can do because we have no idea where it is. I have my suspicions but I can't prove anything and I don't think we should go looking for it. We should instead try to solve the mystery before whoever took it."  
  
"But what if it has something really important in it?" Oliver asked.  
  
"How could anyone possibly have known what diary to steal? My guess is they just grabbed one without knowing what they were taking," Emma replied.  
  
"I don't know," Oliver said. "We really have no idea what we're up against. Remember you told me that the most important thing in solving a mystery is motive? We need to know what the motive of the thief is and maybe it will give us a clue about the cursed broom."  
  
"Wait, wait, wait," Katie intoned. "What we need to do before anything else is write out everything that we know in some kind of structured way.  
  
"Yes! That's exactly what a detective would do!" Emma took a larger piece of parchment and the three began to organize the facts. After only twenty minutes, however, it was clear that the facts were few:  
  
Emma's family broom has spell that makes user best flier in world. Also has weak curse - needs to be reapplied every month. Don't know if any of Emma's family knows about either. The broom was designed 150 years ago by family broomaker. Emma's enemies? Davies (Katie for once didn't protest about this but admitted that Davies did treat Emma strangely). One diary is missing, stolen from Katie's room although under a spell.  
  
"That's all?" Oliver asked, incredulous. "We don't know anything!" Emma set down her quill. "Well, we do know a few more things than this. That's actually why I asked you both to come here."  
  
"Where am I?" Katie exclaimed suddenly, interrupting Emma.  
  
"What?" both Oliver and Emma asked at the same time. They looked at Katie who was leaning over the quidditch field model.  
  
"Little me. Where am I?" Katie explained. Oliver examined the players while Katie ducked under the table.  
  
"That's weird," she heard Oliver say. "You were here a minute ago."  
  
"It's okay!" Katie called, just as Oliver's head appeared under the table. "I've got it," Katie told him, and he disappeared again. Katie let out a deep breath. She had found her model self underneath her chair, cradled in the arms of the model Davies.  
  
"What are you trying to do?" she whispered harshly to the two figures, prying them apart. "It might look a little suspicious if Oliver found you like this."  
  
Miniature Davies seized the model Katie and clambered up the real Katie's arm like a renegade Tarzan. She emerged from underneath the table with both figures clinging to her hair. "I don't know what has gotten into him," Katie said to a laughing Oliver and Emma. Oliver carefully untangled Davies from Katie's hair while Katie held the figure of herself. She couldn't ignore the longing look in Davies' eyes just before Oliver transformed him into Marcus Flint.  
  
"That should keep him under control." Oliver dropped an irritated Flint into the baseball field and Katie set herself down in the stands of the quidditch field.  
  
Oliver turned to Emma. "Now, what were you going to tell us?"  
  
"Can't you control those figures any better?" Emma replied, watching herself, now flying perfectly, smack a bludger into the metal wall of the quidditch field model.  
  
"Emma! Just tell us your news!"  
  
"Sorry. First of all, Professor Lupin said that my new broom checks out fine. No curses, no spells, just a regular broom."  
  
"Really!" Oliver exclaimed so loudly that all the students in the library turned to look at him. He winced and whispered excitedly, "Have you flown on it yet? What's it like? Can I try it?"  
  
"I'm going to try it out before practice tomorrow. You can come if you want. But let me tell you what else I found out." Emma opened the diary with the picture of her mother on the cover and showed it to Katie and Oliver.  
  
"But how?" Katie sputtered at the pages of neat handwriting.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Oliver demanded, taking the diary and flipping through the pages.  
  
"I don't know, other stuff came up. I only found out yesterday. It's the family symbol. You just have to draw it on the pages."  
  
"Oh great," Oliver muttered. "We're not going to be able to draw that mess of lines." Katie looked equally doubtful. "Oh it's not that hard. Let me show you." It took Oliver and Katie an hour to learn to draw the symbol and neither was sure they would remember it in the morning.  
  
"Well I don't want to write it down," Emma explained. "Who knows who could pick it up." Katie and Oliver agreed and promised they would practice the symbol until they couldn't possibly forget it. Then they split up the diaries again and went back to their dormitories for the night.  
  
Emma kicked off the ground, soared several feet above Oliver's head, and spiraled back down to the earth, hovering at should-length with the stunned quidditch captain.  
  
"I want it," was all Oliver could say, his eyes wide with wonder.  
  
"Coveting things is bad," Emma replied innocently and shot into the air again. Oliver jumped onto his broom and sped after her. For several minutes Emma stayed ahead of him but when she weaved through the three goalposts she lost her pace. Oliver grabbed the back of her broom and panting said, "That is a trick we need to work on at your next lesson. But otherwise, wow. This broom has turned you from a qualified flyer into a spectacular flyer."  
  
"Thanks," Emma replied. She spun a quick circle and twisted free of Oliver's grip. Indignant, Oliver raced after her a second time. For an exhausting hour they played tag, each one always caught because they tried a stunt that was too difficult. When they both landed and stumbled off their brooms Emma fell backwards into the snow, laughing almost violently.  
  
Oliver watched her with a curious smile on his face as she flung snow in the air and let if fall back on her face. Laughing even harder, Emma sat up abruptly, her hair soaked and hood full of snow. She flipped the snow out of her hood into her lap and attempted to form a snowball, but the snow was light and crumbled in her hands.  
  
"Well," Emma commented, still laughing, "It doesn't have to be a ball to throw at you."  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Oliver grabbed her wrists as she struggled to shower the snow over his head. With one twist and pull of each wrist Emma was free and shoveling snow in Oliver's lap.  
  
"Hey!" Oliver protested. He grabbed her waist and she toppled into the pile of snow in his lap. Emma was still laughing and Oliver shook his head. "What has gotten into you?"  
  
"Sorry," Emma sputtered, burrowing her face against his shoulder. "Haven't taken any potion today. Professor Lupin doesn't have any right now," she explained between giggles.  
  
"Oh, well is there anything we can do to calm you down?" Oliver asked.  
  
"I just need to relax." Emma brushed snow off his shoulder and resettled her head on the cleared spot. She laughed again and said, "Do you remember that day when I was doing cartwheels on the lawn?"  
  
Oliver grinned and rested his chin on her head. "It's a hard thing to forget."  
  
"I know, I know. But I have an excuse. It had nothing to do with candy, it was my emotions all messed up again."  
  
Oliver nodded and stroked her wet hair. They sat quietly until Emma's laughter came only sporadically, like almost-ready popcorn.  
  
"Oh!" Emma exclaimed suddenly. "Ravenclaw practice is going to start soon. We shouldn't be sitting here when the team shows up." She jumped up but Oliver grabbed her wrist to stop her.  
  
"Wait, I have to ask you something."  
  
Emma knelt in the snow in front of him. "What is it?"  
  
"What are we?" Oliver replied. "You told me you wanted to keep our relationship secret but we haven't even defined what our relationship is. I'm not good at all of this relationship stuff. I need your help."  
  
"I'm no good at this either." Emma leaned forward and kissed him, her chilled fingers brushing his stubbly cheek. Oliver guided her back into his lap, and entangled his fingers in hers'.  
  
"That is your answer, the best I can give it," Emma whispered. "And I don't care if the whole world knows. But I would prefer to not have to deal with Davies right now and he will be here soon. That and I'm worried about not having any potion."  
  
Oliver kissed her once more and released her. "Thank you. That means a lot to me." Emma smiled as she watched him walk back to Hogwarts. At least some good things are coming out of this crazy year, she thought. Later during practice, she still smiled to herself about Oliver as she smashed bludgers away from the Ravenclaw team members. Jaeson Riley, the other team beater, soared next to Emma just as she saved Cho Chang from a crushed leg. "Now that you have that new broom I'm completely useless!" Jaeson shouted.  
  
Laughing, Emma shot after a bludger. "C'mon Riley! There are still enough to go around!"  
  
Emma and Jaeson chased and assaulted the feisty bludgers until Davies called the team down. That morning at breakfast the Gryffindor chasers had mentioned to Emma that they thought Davies looked like a pirate and now Emma saw it so distinctly that she shoved her gloved knuckles into her mouth to stop from laughing. He was wearing a black sweater, black pants, and even black boots, standing rigidly with his arms folded over his chest and his cloak blowing back in the wind. His damp curls held their perfect form despite the rough practice and the gold hoops glinted as he looked at each of the team members.  
  
Emma's mind wandered while Davies talked about strategy. He had been oddly nice to her the past few days and it was more disconcerting than when he was horrible. Now as he caught her gaze Emma felt a mix of anger and sympathy. What is going on in that mind of yours'? she wondered. With a barely noticeable wink Davies seemed to answer her.  
  
Emma gripped her broom handle, hoping to suppress the surge of emotions mounting in her chest. She was relieved when Davies dismissed the team a few minutes later. "Nice work today Emma," he said, touching her shoulder as he walked past with Jaeson. Emma's hands strained against her broom handle, the wood bending and cracking slightly.  
  
"You ready?" Cho asked Emma. She released the broom with a sigh and nodded. "Is everything okay?" Cho questioned as they walked back to Hogwarts.  
  
"Everything is fine." But her uneasiness about Davies sank into her mind and nagged at her like her worries about the upcoming final exams.  
  
The next week passed rapidly as all the students crammed for their final exams. In their few moments of freetime, Oliver, Emma, and Katie read Emma's parents diaries. Although the letters enraptured all three, they couldn't find anything to help them solve their mystery. Emma frequently went back to the first diary she had read, convinced that she was missing something obvious. But as many times as she read it, she couldn't figure out what it was.  
  
Davies continued to act strangely, even stopping Emma in the hallway to ask her how she was doing. Emma avoided him as much as possible, unsettled by the traces of genuine kindness in his eyes and the smile that accented his handsome facial features.  
  
"What is his problem?" Emma asked Katie one day while they sat at the same hidden table in the library. Davies sat across the library with Jaeson Riley and other sixth year Ravenclaws. Katie glanced at Davies and felt a rush of warmth in her stomach. Her crush on Davies worsened as the days passed, completely controlling her mind. Davies caught her gaze and quickly looked away. Katie knew something was wrong, but she didn't know what and she was too afraid to talk to him. "It's what I've been telling you all along," Katie told Emma. "He's really a nice guy."  
  
"Well he has an odd way of showing it," Emma grumbled.  
  
Katie grinned to herself and glanced once more at Davies. His fingers were entangled in his hair as he leaned over the table, tapping his quill absently against his lips. He nudged Jaeson and pointed to something in the book in front of him, obviously confused. Katie sighed and stared at the History of Magic textbook that taunted her from the table. The history of sea monsters and their relation to dragons was not exciting enough to distract her from Davies.  
  
"I'm going back to the dormitory," Katie said, slamming her book shut.  
  
"I'll walk with you," Emma replied, gathering her books together. "We have Ravenclaw team practice in half an hour."  
  
Emma took an inconveniently long route to the door, swerving through bookshelves to avoid passing by Davies' table. Katie stared over her shoulder at Davies and ran into a bookshelf. Davies looked at her and for a moment Katie froze. As he shook his head slowly and looked down again Katie felt like he pulled out her heart and summoned it from across the room.  
  
Maybe I should try to combat this crush, Katie thought while she and Emma trudged through the maze of Hogwarts hallways. But fighting it seemed completely hopeless and Katie didn't have the energy to battle another crush after her struggle against Oliver. Katie wished that she would run into Davies into a dark corridor that night like she had so many times when she didn't want to. He's avoiding me, Katie determined and knew he had a good reason. That night with the intoxicating charm was the key, but she still couldn't remember it.  
  
"Katie," Emma said suddenly as they approached the Gryffindor tower. "I wasn't going to say anything to you about this, but I think I should. Things are changing between Oliver and me and I'm letting them because I know you talked to him."  
  
Katie stopped walking and looked at Emma. "I want to put this behind me and start over," she explained. "I've spent enough time locked into this obsession."  
  
Emma simply nodded. "I'll just pretend you never liked him."  
  
Katie smiled wryly. "Oh I never did." She entered Gryffindor, leaving any remaining traces of her crush on Oliver outside with his new girlfriend. What an odd friendship, Katie thought as she climbed the stairs to her dormitory. It has changed so much. I wonder what would happen if I told Emma that I like Davies. Katie winced at the image of an enraged and completely baffled Emma. The yelling and cursing it would cause . . . no, it was best kept quiet for now.  
  
Later that evening at Ravenclaw practice Emma couldn't stop watching Davies. Professor Lupin still didn't have any potion and Emma had passed a frightening week with several almost-dangerous emotional moments. Oliver had kept her calm through the stress of studying but she was worried since he wasn't there to help during practice. Emma felt like she was on the edge of an emotional eruption and dreaded what she was capable of. Therefore she kept half an eye on the volatile quidditch captain, half an eye on Jaeson Riley and the other eye completely on the bludgers. Davies encouraged her all through practice, complimenting her techniques and pointing her out as an example for the team. By the end of practice Emma could barely contain her distress - she was sweating and shaking more from Davies' attention than physical exertion. Breathing heavily, she squeezed her eyes shut as Davies gathered the team around him.  
  
"Are you alright?" Cho asked her, touching her arm. Emma nodded, knowing she couldn't speak without falling apart.  
  
"This is our last practice before Christmas holidays," Davies was saying. "I know you all have too much to do to practice more this week, or at least I have too much to do. But please keep in shape over holiday. We have only a week to prepare for our game after we get back. Good luck with exams and have a good break."  
  
The team began to leave and Emma opened her eyes. Cedric Diggory was waiting nearby and Cho hurried over to him. Jaeson Riley also disappeared and he was the only other person on the team Emma felt she might be able to confide in. Emma froze, her turbulent heartbeat pulsing in her head, the world blurring and turning. She wanted to scream, to steady herself, but she only felt more weight in her head as the earth titled towards her.  
  
Then suddenly someone was carrying her and the world began to right itself. Emma opened her eyes to a clear image of Davies' concerned face. She was sitting inside the quidditch equipment shed with Davies kneeling in front of her, his hands resting on her shoulders.  
  
"What am I doing here?" Emma demanded.  
  
"You freaked out," Davies replied. "It was scary - I had no idea what was going on. I took you here so you could sit down."  
  
"Why didn't you take me back to Hogwarts?" Emma strained against his grip but she was backed against a wall and couldn't escape. "It was too far," Davies explained. One of his hands moved to the wall above her head, blocking her even more. Emma could feel his breath against her face. He raised his eyebrows innocently and added, "I was concerned about you."  
  
Emma watched his lips as he spoke, furiously aware that they were only inches from her lips. She felt a flood of anger coursing through her body, mounting uncontrollably. She began to shake violently as Davies' fingers drifted to her face.  
  
"Relax," he whispered. "Come here." Davies wrapped his arms around Emma's waist and drew her towards his chest. Emma's anger exploded. She shoved Davies and he flew backwards, crashing into a pile of brooms that caved in over him.  
  
"What are you doing!" Emma screamed. "Why can't you just leave me alone!"  
  
She jumped to her feet and stalked towards him, kicking him repeatedly. Davies shoved the brooms off of him and rolled sideways, cracking several more brooms. He was on his feet before Emma could kick him again.  
  
"I hate you!" Emma screamed. She lunged at Davies but he grabbed her wrists and wrestled her against his chest.  
  
"Please calm down. I'm sorry," Davies pleaded in an oddly calm voice. Emma easily pulled out of his grip and showed him again. "You are not sorry! You're a monster!"  
  
"I am sorry!" Davies shouted, this time grabbing her arms from behind.  
  
Emma pulled her arms together and jerked forward, flipping Davies over her head. He crashed again into the pile of brooms and they shattered underneath him like a pile of twigs. Davies lay stunned for a moment and Emma loomed over him. Her chest heaved and tears streamed down her face.  
  
"Look what you made me do," she whispered. Quivering, she stared down at Davies. His appearance was far from perfect now. His cloak had fallen off and his sweater was torn and bloody. Bits of wood were entangled in his wild hair. But most frightening was his face. Blood was smeared across his sweaty forehead and tears of pain ran through the blood from several cuts. His eyes drilled into Emma as she slowly backed away from him. Then the door to the shed burst open.  
  
Emma hugged her arms to her chest trembling slightly, her eyes darting wildly around Dumbledore's office. How long have I been here? she wondered, panic pouring into her mind. She pressed her hands to her head, breathing frantically until the spasm passed. As soon as her mind steadied she was assaulted by images of the scene in the shed.  
  
She saw Madam Hooch standing in the doorway, bright eyes wide, clutching her robe over her heart. Then Oliver appeared, halting abruptly just inside the door. He stumbled backwards involuntarily, staring at Emma. She could see that he knew what she had done, what she was capable of. Then several things happened at once. Oliver stumbled towards Emma, Davies struggled to his feet exclaiming, "It's my fault, it's my fault!" and Madam Hooch sputtered, "What happened here?"  
  
Oliver stopped between Emma and Davies, his chest heaving and eyes darting between the two.  
  
"It was my fault," Davies said again, holding up his hands defensively and trying to move away from Oliver. Davies looked pitifully disheveled and unable to fight. His legs shook and he braced his hands on his knees to keep from falling over.  
  
"I don't care whose fault it is. Both of you should go to Hospital now. Wood, go find Professor Dumbledore and tell him to meet me outside the Hospital Wing." Madam Hooch said forcefully.  
  
Oliver hesitated, peering intently into Emma's mournful eyes, but turned away when Madam Hooch exclaimed, "Now, Wood!" Emma watched him run through the door and wondered if he would ever look into her eyes again.  
  
"Really," Davies was explaining in his strangely calm manner. "I was being stupid and provoked her. It was in no way her fault . . ."  
  
"We'll talk about it later." Madam Hooch took Davies by the shoulder, ignoring his protests that he was not hurt. She coldly asked Emma to follow them, keeping several steps ahead of her like she expected Emma to spring on her.  
  
She knows about me, Emma realized, and wondered how many other professors knew. She watched Davies drag his trampled body across the field, following her victim with weighted steps. Davies glanced at Emma over his shoulder, his eyes desperate and shameful.  
  
Now, alone in Dumbledore's office what seemed like hours later, his eyes still seared her mind. "What were you trying to do?" she demanded out loud. "Why did you have to do it? One moment of stability in my life completely shattered for what!"  
  
Fawkes settled on her lap and Emma unknowingly stroked the phoenix. She sensed that his presence kept her calm. "Do you realize what I did today?" she asked Fawkes who ruffled his brilliantly-colored feathers in response. "Nothing is going to be the same from now on . . ." She broke off, startled by an explosion of sound in the hallway.  
  
"If I had known you had a Baxter attending this crazy institution I never would have let my son come here! He'd have been better off at Durmstrang with all the crooks and creatures you let come here! I demand that you let me see the girl so she can explain herself. If she's anything like her father she won't be able to look me in the eyes!"  
  
Emma squeezed Fawkes in her terror and he escaped back to his perch. She gripped the arms of her chair as the voice raved and thundered. Finally it stopped and an unsettling calm replaced the storm.  
  
"Neil, please. You need to control yourself. I will not let you see her if you act like this," Dumbledore said steadily. The voices were right outside the door to the office.  
  
"That girl attacked my son! I have every right to act like this! It doesn't matter if I see her now or later, she will be out of Hogwarts by tomorrow morning!"  
  
"We'll see about that. Neil, why don't you go lie down in the room Madam Pomfrey prepared for you and Elizabeth. You can talk to Emma tomorrow after you've had a chance to see Roger." Professor Dumbledore muttered a few words that Emma recognized as a tranquilizing spell.  
  
"Yes, maybe I will lie down. But this isn't over. I still expect to see that girl expelled."  
  
"Of course, of course," Dumbledore replied and Roger's father left, stomping only somewhat more quietly.  
  
Emma tensed even more as the door opened. "Not to worry," Dumbledore said with a smile, "We've delayed the storm for at least a little while."  
  
Emma tried to smile but couldn't make her tightened facial muscles move. Dumbledore sat across from her and sighed. "Some people hold onto grudges for all their life," he commented. "But I haven't given up hope yet. Anyway, I'm sorry to have left you here for so long. Neil caused even more trouble than I expected and it was a task to calm him down. Roger is doing fine now that his mother convinced him to lie down and let Madam Pomfrey take care of his wounds. So everything is alright."  
  
Emma stared at Dumbledore, trying to register everything he had said. She cycled through 'Davies' father angry, he's calm for now, Davies is okay,' and replied, "Where's Oliver?"  
  
"Waiting outside the hospital wing with Katie. They don't know that you are here. As soon as the situation is under control you can see them."  
  
Emma nodded slowly. "What's going to happen to me?" she asked quietly.  
  
Dumbledore smiled as Fawkes settled on Emma's lap again. "My hope is that you'll get a good rest over Christmas holidays and be back for the quidditch match in January."  
  
"I don't think that's what Mr. Davies wants," Emma replied. It seemed impossible that this could be as easy to fix as Dumbledore made it sound.  
  
"Well I may have skimmed over a few details, but I expect that what I've suggested with more or less be the outcome." Dumbledore rose to his feet. "Now, would you like to rest a little until your parents get here? There may be a bit of a battle to fight and you'll need your strength."  
  
"Um, okay." Emma didn't feel like things were any clearer or more positive than they had been at the moment she first hit Davies. But she had no choice but to wait and see what would happen.  
  
"Oliver, please sit down. I'm already worried enough." Katie, curled up in a chair outside the hospital wing, had watched Oliver pacing for an hour. She knew almost nothing about what was going on and Oliver preferred to sigh heavily and kick things rather than explain. Now he finally settled into a chair across from Katie.  
  
"Thank you. Now will you explain what happened? I've been more than a little nervous since Jason Riley collided with me and said that something was wrong with Emma. I'm not even sure how I ended up here and I would really like to know who the enraged man was that stormed past here a few minutes ago."  
  
Katie's broken version of the story tumbled out in a fit of frustration. Oliver jumped to his feet abruptly and then knelt on the floor in front of Katie. Even from close up Katie couldn't interpret his strained face; his emotional expressions morphed rapidly, careening into each other and forming a sort of emotional soup.  
  
"You have to stay calm," Oliver began, and although Katie's stomach jolted it seemed very funny that he was telling her to be calm instead of the reverse.  
  
"Just tell me," Katie pleaded.  
  
Oliver sighed again and Katie wanted to smack him. Finally he began to slowly explain. "I can't tell you why this has happened - mostly because I don't really know, but I will tell you what I saw." Oliver paused and squeezed his eyes shut. He ran a hand over his hair and briefly clutched Katie's hand.  
  
"Davies provoked Emma in some way - I don't know how. She could have been upset or angry or . . . I don't know what else. What I am trying to say is that Davies provoked her and she, well, she attacked him." At this confession Oliver flinched, his fists clenching.  
  
Katie stared at him for a moment and then laughed. "What? How is that even possible? How could Emma attack Roger? Tell me what really happened."  
  
Oliver shook his head slowly. "Katie, listen. I'm serious. That's what happened."  
  
"But how? If Roger just grabbed her wrists she wouldn't be able to move. I don't understand at all."  
  
Oliver pushed himself to his feet and began to pace again. Katie watched him, her heart pounding wildly.  
  
"Emma is . . . very strong sometimes," Oliver explained hoarsely.  
  
"You think you're going to get away with that explanation? I want to know what happened and why." Katie spoke evenly but felt on the brink of panic.  
  
"That is what happened and I can't tell you more," Oliver said forcefully.  
  
"Fine!" Katie slammed her fist against the wall and with the pain came sudden realization. "How is Roger?" she asked, her voice strained.  
  
"Well, I don't know if I should tell you that he got what he deserved or . . ." Oliver hesitated. He knelt in front of Katie again and touched her shoulder. "It's not good. I'm sure he'll be fine after Madam Pomfrey takes care of him but right now he looks, well, like he lost a fight with the Whomping Willow."  
  
Katie gasped. "Did she use a spell? I just don't understand."  
  
Oliver sank back onto the floor. "No, it wasn't a spell."  
  
Katie burrowed her head into her arms. "Emma, Emma - what have you done?" Katie was desperately trying to conceal how concerned she was about Davies. She fought against the tears, afraid that Oliver would discover her affection for the boy he considered an enemy. Then suddenly the door to the hospital wing swung open and a voice exclaimed, "Well, this won't do at all. It's not the end of the world. I won't see you so unhappy."  
  
Startled, Katie and Oliver turned to see a stunning women standing in front of them. She was short but graceful, with thick dark hair that tumbled in wild curls down her back. Her deep brown eyes accented her cheerful face. In place of robes she wore a pair of worn jeans and a black sweater, but it didn't shadow her elegance.  
  
She smiled at the stunned Katie and Oliver and said, "Roger is fine. I haven't been able to get a word out of him about what happened, but he's fine. As for Emma, I believe she is also fine - no daughter of Emily and Naim Baxter could be defeated that easily. This stubborn son of mine though, he's not helping the situation. He just keeps saying that it was his fault. That may be but I have my doubts that either of them were at fault and if he won't tell me what happened than I can't get to the bottom of this." Katie and Oliver continued to stare at the woman, shell-shocked by her strange speech. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, still smiling brightly. "I'm Elizabeth Davies, Roger's mother. I'm sure you at least saw my husband Neil although you probably didn't meet him. He was the tyrant that passed by a little while ago. He's not always like that." She walked to Katie and extended her hand. Katie took it, still at a loss for words.  
  
"You must be Katie," Elizabeth said and Katie was shocked even further into silence. "Roger was right about your hair. It's beautiful. But he didn't tell me you had such pretty eyes. Typical - men never notice eyes. Maybe you could get him to talk since he's so fond of you." Elizabeth indicated the door to the hospital wing and Katie stood awkwardly.  
  
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Davies," she stammered. "I guess I'll talk to Roger." Katie smiled weakly and Elizabeth, who stood at level with Katie's nose, squeezed her hands affectionately.  
  
"Thank you. I'm sure you've been anxious to see him anyway." Katie nodded shyly and hesitantly pushed open the large wooden door to the hospital wing. As the door swung shut behind her she heard Elizabeth say to Oliver, "Now, who are you? You look like a Wood if I'm guessing correctly . . ."  
  
Katie stood for a moment just inside the door, afraid to turn the corner and face Davies. What can I say to him? she wondered. It's not as if we're on normal speaking terms. I must be crazy.  
  
But curiosity and concern, along with her desire to please Elizabeth, pushed her forward. Madam Pomfrey was not in the room and, Katie noted confused, neither was Emma. Where did they take her? she wondered, peering at every empty bed. But when she saw Davies she completely forgot about Emma. He was sleeping - at least Katie thought so. She hurried towards him, wanting to see that he was breathing. She halted at the foot of his bed, eased by the sound of his breath, but horrified by his appearance. Katie clutched her hands together and stumbled backwards.  
  
"How could Emma . . ." she whispered. Deep purple bruises circled his right eye and a gash, crimson with hardened blood, marred his cheek. Several tiny cuts zig-zagged across his face and neck and chips of wood were still tangled in his hair. He was tucked under a blanket up to his shoulders, hiding the rest of his wounded body, but Katie could imagine the damage. She knelt next to his bed and traced the gash on his cheek.  
  
"You may have that one for life," she murmured. Katie softly and cautiously brushed her lips over the wound and then rose to her feet. Better, I suppose, that I can't talk to you, she thought.  
  
A few minutes later she explained to Elizabeth, "He's sleeping. I thought I should leave him."  
  
Elizabeth nodded. "Oh well. We'll try later. Your friend Oliver ran off rather frantically when I told him Emma wasn't in Hospital. I'm worried about him."  
  
Katie sighed. "Yeah, I am too."  
  
Two figures moved rapidly through the dark halls of Hogwarts, shrouded by shadows and gray cloaks.  
  
"Emily, I am sure that Neil is already here. We need to get Emma out of here before he gets to her."  
  
"It´s alright, Naim. Elizabeth will keep him under control and I´m sure Dumbldore won´t let him see Emma alone."  
  
"I doubt that even Elizabeth can really control him when he´s enraged. You must remember that night . . ."  
  
"Of course I remember it. But that was twenty years ago. Maybe he´s changed."  
  
"I don´t think so. Neil Davies will keep this grudge for life."  
  
"Before you make any judgements let´s talk to Remus."  
  
Professor Lupin dropped the Baxter family broom at the sudden sound of voices outside his door. He quickly covered the artifact with an invisibility spell as he called, "Come in."  
  
He smiled sadly, rising slowly to his feet as Emily and Naim Baxter appeared, quickly shutting the door behind them.  
  
"I was hoping you´d come see me first," he greeted them. "I wish it could be under better circumstances."  
  
"How is the year going?" Emily asked kindly, sitting on a chair in front of Professor Lupin´s desk.  
  
"You don´t have to bother with formalities, Emily." Professor Lupin sighed. "Naim looks ready to explode and I see the exhaustion in your eyes."  
  
Naim paced behind his wife. "Is Neil here? Has he seen Emma?"  
  
"He is here, but I don´t think he has seen Emma. She is in Professor Dumbledore´s office. Roger is in hospital. He will be fine although he has been refusing treatment."  
  
"What happened?" Emily asked, unknowingly entangling her hand in her cloak. Professor Lupin sat down in his chair again and gestured to Naim to sit as well. "It is not very clear what happened. Roger won´t tell anyone and Emma is scared. The best I can tell, Roger did something to provoke her and since Emma had not had any potion she reacted violently. I am sorry this happened. She had been doing so well that I thought she would be fine while I waited for the new potion to brew."  
  
"Remus, we don´t blame you," Naim assured him and Emily nodded. "I just wish she didn´t have to go through this."  
  
Professor Lupin stood up abruptly. "Well, I will take you to her. I know where Neil is staying so we can avoid him."  
  
The next morning Oliver woke up outside The Great Hall, wondering what had happened. He uncoiled his tense body and rolled over to see Katie sitting a few feet away. "Emma is gone," Katie told him. "Her parents came to get her in the middle of the night. I´m surprised you slept through the tirade that occured when Mr. Davies found out."  
  
"What!" Oliver exclaimed as all the events of the past few days poured back into his mind. "I never even got to talk to her! How can she be gone?"  
  
Katie pushed her long hair back from face, staring at Oliver through tired eyes and said slowly, "They´ll probably take Roger too. I don´t know if either one of them will be back."  
  
Oliver jumped to his feet, pulling on his disheveled robes over his rumpled sweater and pants. "This can´t be happening. When did my life become so complicated?"  
  
"I think it happened the day you discovered your fan club. For me it was the first time I ran into Roger Davies in a dark corridor. Interestingly enough, that was also the day I met you. What do you say we give up on relationships and go live a lustful existence in the streets?"  
  
Oliver stared at her a moment, still too tired to be sure how to react to this proposal. "Um, I think that I´m going to talk to Professor Lupin first. And maybe you should try to get some sleep."  
  
"Okay," Katie complied and fell sideways onto the floor. "I´m going to ask you again tomorrow, though," she mumbled as Oliver walked away quickly.  
  
Professor Lupin was nowhere to be found and Oliver wandered dejectedly around Hogwarts most of the day until Professor McGonnagal found him and forced him to go to class. Late in the afternoon Davies also disappeared from Hogwarts, along with the raging voice that correlated with Neil Davies. All the students that encountered Neil Davies in person were shocked to discover that a carbon image of Roger Davies could be the bearer of that voice. But he would stop and talk to them pleasantly, asking about their families and recounting tales of his days at Hogwarts. Oliver, however, had avoided him completely.  
  
Although Professor McGonnagal told him there was nothing he could do about Emma, Oliver went up to the owlrey to send her a note after hearing about Davies´ disappearance. He and Katie spent final exams week sitting sullenly at the hidden table in the library trying to study. They were a pitiful sight - even Angelina refused to sit with them because their melancholy made her nervous.  
  
"Mrs. Davies is really nice," Katie commented to Oliver the afternoon before her first final.  
  
"Yeah, she is," Oliver replied. "Hey, how did she know so much about you?" Katie shrugged, but her heart beat faster. "I don´t know. Maybe Davies told her about the other quidditch teams."  
  
Oliver looked at her doubtfully. "Quidditch captains don´t normally describe their players by their beautiful hair. I think you should watch out for him. He messes with people."  
  
Katie looked down at her books. "I know."  
  
Finals finished and somehow Katie and Oliver survived. They left on the train for vacation wondering what had happened to Emma and Davies. 


	7. In Which Things Unravel

Emma spent three restless days in her room until her parents` unexplained daily disappearances and sullen nightly returns, Oliver`s distance, and her own solitude drove her out. She stomped up to the undisturbed attic of her half-muggle, half-wizard house and haphazardly searched through piles of stuffed boxes. The boxes were labeled neatly in her mother`s handwriting but stacked by use of her father`s magic. Emma could pull down a box with her wand and even discover the label without retrieving a box but she had to physically examine the contents to know for sure what a box contained. Obscurely labeled boxes, such as "summer of 1982" she explored by throwing things out over her head. In only half and hour the floor was covered with papers, dishes, strange clothing, disheveled books, and other items.  
  
As Emma first surveyed the clutter a quiet voice questioned, "For what does Miss Emma look? This mess will not make her parents happy. But Marnie will help Miss Emma if she can."  
  
Emma smiled at the house elf who looked up at her endearingly, her wide eyes unable to conceal excitement at possibly being part of Emma`s endeavors. Emma and Marnie were friends more than master and servant and Emma communicated more with Marnie from Hogwarts than her parents. "Maybe you can help me, Marnie." Emma cleared a space on the floor, carelessly tossing things back into a box marked "Mementos From First House," and sat down so she was at eye level with the doting house elf. "In one of the diaries you sent me my mother talked about one night when she was visiting my father - a night when something happened that I know is important. I need to know what happened."  
  
Marnie´s clear, dark eyes pooled with tears as she stared sheepishly at the ground. "I do not know that. Marnie did not serve masters Emily and Naim until Miss Emma was a baby." She rocked back and forth sadly, scrunching the tattered sheet she wore every day.  
  
Emma sighed. "Well, it`s alright. I`ll just keep looking. You can help me if you want."  
  
"No wait!" Marnie clutched Emma`s hands suddenly, smiling broadly. "Marnie remembers now! There is another diary, a real diary that Master Emily keeps hidden from Master Naim. That diary maybe will help Miss Emma!"  
  
Emma almost tumbled down the narrow stairs, following the frantic house elf. Marnie skittered into Emma`s parents` room and burrowed into a closet. In a minute she emerged, a small book in one hand and a shoe caught on her large ear. Emma pulled the shoe carefully off Marnie`s head and took the book from her. She sank down on her parents` bed, Marnie jumping up and down in front of her excitedly.  
  
"Marnie will let Miss Emma read by herself but hopes that Miss Emma will tell Marnie later if the diary helps. Marnie cannot peek at such secret things." With that the house elf ran from the room.  
  
Emma peered at the book in her hands, sensing that finally she would learn the truth. The book was simple and blue with the family symbol etched on the front. Emma carefully opened it, turning several pages filled with her mother`s neat handwriting until she found the date that corresponded with the first letter she had read in the diaries.  
  
"I don`t think I will ever forget what happened - I know it will forever haunt our family if Naim and I are married. But in my fear I feel that I have to write something." Emma`s heart pounded as she read the first sentences of the diary entry. What had happened to frighten her mother so terribly? she wondered. She read on, half-excited and half- scared. "Neil is so angry that he may never speak to Naim again. Elizabeth and I will never be friends, our children will never know each other, and two families will be caught in a feud all over something that no one can explain. I wish that Naim would listen, but he has a right to be prideful. If Remus couldn`t even convince him, no one will. What a change from two weeks ago. The worst has happened. But most of all I fear the Heritage Curse." Emma flipped frantically through the pages of the diary, looking for more, but it was the last entry. She slammed the book shut in frustration, and as she did a picture fell on her lap. Emma picked it up and examined it carefully. It was obviously a muggle photograph - gray and faded, the figures frozen. But she recognized her mother and father, smiling, in the front of the picture. Behind them was Roger Davies - or what must be Neil Davies, Emma realized -- his hand on her father`s shoulder as he smiled at a forth figure. Elizabeth Davies, Emma decided, peering at the beautiful girl. Emma turned the picture over and saw that it was dated just a week before the diary entry.  
  
Emma took the diary and returned to her room, her head throbbing with questions. What exactly had happened to cause such fighting between her parents and the Davies? Why was her mother so afraid? What was the Heritage Curse? Did all of this have anything to do with the broom or her illness?  
  
Emma stretched out on her bed, tucking the diary and picture underneath her pillow. As she did so she noticed a letter lying on the floor. "Stupid owl," she muttered. "Couldn`t even come to find me." She picked up the letter and opened it, suddenly distracted by thoughts of Oliver. It was indeed from him.  
  
"I`m sorry I couldn`t see you before you left," Emma read. "I hope you don`t think that I am angry about what happened. I was just surprised and not sure how to react. Please write me and tell me how you are doing and when I can see you. Oliver."  
  
Emma sighed, releasing half of her fears from the past three days. She had been terrified that Oliver would never speak to her again, that she had scared him too much when she attacked Davies. She had wanted to write to him but out off fear had not. Now she ripped a piece of paper out of her mother`s diary and quickly wrote:  
  
"Thank you for the letter. I wanted to explain what happened but I never got the chance. When I see you we can talk more about it. I don`t know if they will let me come back to Hogwarts, but I`m going to do everything I can to be back after vacation. Emma." Emma found her family owl, Perrin, asleep in the kitchen. She awoke him with reprimands and sent him off with the letter for Oliver. Then, suddenly remembering the mess in the attic, she ran upstairs to clean it up before her parents returned from their mysterious trip. Emma suspected that they had been meeting with Dumbledore and other important people at Hogwarts and probably Mr. Davies to talk about her future at Hogwarts. So far, however, they hadn`t said anything about it to her. That night, however, they came to talk to her in her room where she was resting after the strenuous job of reorganizing the attic.  
  
"Emma," her mother said gently, sitting down on the end of her bed. "Your father and I have spent several days talking with Professor Dumbledore and researching your condition. We`re sorry to have left you out of this but it seemed better to give you a few days to rest."  
  
Her father also sat down on the bed and Emma pulled herself up to face them more directly, not wanting to feel like an invalid as she sometimes did. "Despite some peoples` efforts to keep you out of Hogwarts," her father said with a slight growl in his voice. "We and Professor Dumbledore are willing to let you go back if you want to. We realize that it could be quite a struggle after what happened, but we also know that you have a lot of friends at Hogwarts. So the decision is up to you." Emma smiled but inside she wondered what her parents were not telling her. "I want to go back," she told them firmly. "But please don`t keep me out of things. I need to know what`s going on. It is my condition after all."  
  
Both her parents nodded and smiled but seemed afraid. Emma hugged them with a strange mix of joy and panic in her heart.  
  
Davies suffered three very similar days as Emma, pacing in his room while his parents disappeared, haunted by guilt and stricken by Katie´s distance. During the day he refused to speak to anyone and during the night he wandered through his house, sleeping only briefly in corners or at the bottom of the stairs. At two o´clock in the morning on the fourth day of painful solitude his mother found him huddled on the stairs and confronted him.  
  
"Roger, you can´t go on like this," she said gently, sinking down on the stairs beside him.  
  
" You haven´t spoken or slept or eaten since we came for you. You wouldn´t let Madam Pomfrey touch your wounds and . . . sweetheart, please tell me what happened. It will not help you to keep it inside."  
  
Davies looked into his mother´s pleading eyes and shook his head slowly. "I just want to know why," he said hoarsely. Why does dad hate the Baxters so much. When he heard Emma was on the team with me it was like he broke open and all this hatred poured out. And the second I saw he was angry I felt the hatred inside me too. I didn´t know why, it didn´t make sense, but it grew until I despised her so much that I would do anything to get rid of her."  
  
He hesitated, choking over the words. "When she pushed me," he finally managed to continue, unknowingly pulling on his thick curls as he pressed his face against his knees. "I suddenly realized that it didn´t make any sense at all, that I had no reason to hate her or do the terrible things I had done. And it was like I stepped outside myself and became me again. But I am so ashamed that I cannot live with myself."  
  
His mother stroked his hair soothingly but at the same time wiped away tears from her face. "You need to forgive yourself first. Hatred is horribly powerful and causes people to do irrational things. What´s more important is that Emma is alright. We heard today that she will be allowed back at Hogwarts if she chooses to go. Your father tried to protest but . . . hopefully there will be a chance for you to reconcile with Emma."  
  
"I don´t think even that would take away my guilt but I am happy to hear it." Davies spoke more calmly, soothed by his mother´s words, but petrified at the thought of facing Emma. "If you knew what I tried to do . . ." he said more to himself than his mother. She didn´t ask for an explanation.  
  
"And what about Katie?" she asked instead. Davies sighed deeply. "I think it´s time to give up on that. I don´t deserve her anyway." "Oh I wouldn´t give up yet. I think she believes that you are worthy of a relationship. Besides, I like her. That alone is reason for you to keep trying."  
  
Davies laughed for the first time since the incident in the shed. "That may not be enough to convince her."  
  
His mother smiled and tipped his chin up to look in his eyes. "Maybe not," she conceded. "But you have other qualities, just like your father."  
  
For the rest of the night Davies lay in bed, thinking about his confession and his mother´s advice. He knew he had to face both Emma and Katie but feared their reactions. His mother also lay awake, thinking about her son´s description of his behavior and trying to divine why it seemed so strange. It couldn´t be completely natural, and if it wasn´t, she needed to know what magic had caused it.  
  
The day after Christmas holidays ended Davies noticed a definite coldness on the faces of the other students as he boarded the train to Hogwarts. It had taken a week to convince his concerned father to let him return but now that he was leaving he wanted to run away. Rumors flew through the train like electric current, once-adoring girls shuffling away from him nervously and haughty boys smirking at the telltale scars on his face.  
  
"Yes I got beat up by a girl and yes I intended to hurt her," Davies muttered as he pushed to the back of the train.  
  
"They´ll get over it in a week," an amused voice responded. Davies turned to see Jaeson Riley, smiling in his usual open and friendly way.  
  
"You´re speaking to me," Davies commented, leaning against a closed compartment. Jaeson cocked his head, narrowing his clear blue eyes. "I´m your best friend, moron, of course I´m speaking to you."  
  
Davies raised his eyes. "I didn´t know I had a best friend," he remarked.  
  
"Well, I know you´re not the most social chap but I still take that as an insult. I am the one who wanders all over Hogwarts to find you every morning, defends your completely irrational behavior, and makes sure you always have enough hair gel. That should be enough."  
  
Davies shrugged thoughtfully. "I guess you´re right."  
  
Jaeson sat down abruptly on his large trunk and replied, "I would say something appropriately bestfriendish but I fear that would only confuse you more. Instead I will say that I don´t care what happened. You can tell me sometime if you want to, but whatever." He jumped back to his feet. "Now, I have a date with some quidditch plays and I believe Katie is in the last car on the right."  
  
"Um, thanks," Davies sputtered as Jaeson waved over his shoulder, dragging his trunk behind him.  
  
Davies shook his head, wondering how he had managed to collect a best friend, and even more baffled because he had been looking for Katie when Jaeson found him. "How did he know?" Davies shrugged and continued to the back of the train. He hesitated outside the door of the last car on the right until his fear of the other passengers finally drove him to knock.  
  
Katie gasped as Davies entered the car. He was impeccably clean, his hair arranged carefully and clothes neat, but he looked like he had showered and dressed simply to force himself awake. His eyes were rimmed with lines and shot with red. The many facial scars seemed to strain against his smooth skin. The affect was unsettling and Katie knew he would probably never again be the perfect Roger Davies from before his encounter with Emma.  
  
"Roger, I . . . " Katie began but got stuck between "I´m happy to see you," "You look horrible," and "If you come one step closer I will scream." She had worried about him all vacation, nervous because she didn´t know what had really happened and confused by her intense feelings for him.  
  
Davies sat down on the far corner of the bench across from her. "You are probably wondering why I´m here," he said quietly, staring at the floor. Katie could only nod, troubled by his overwhelming discomfort. She was used to a Davies that pinned her against he wall and kissed her against her will. Even though she knew his quieter and more understanding side she had never seen the shame that now shadowed his face. Davies tried to look at her but couldn´t raise his head. "I want to confess to you that I, well, I did everything. I cursed Emma´t broom, I stole the diary, I treated her horribly, and when she attacked me I . . ." he stuttered and Katie leaned forward.  
  
"You what?" She couldn´t resist pushing him for answers after two weeks of aching to know what he had done.  
  
"Well, since I couldn´t get her off the team by any other means, I decided to be very nice to her. If I could get her to like me I figured I could talk her out of being on the team." Katie stood up and walked to the back of the car, trying to contain her disgust. "So what you´re saying is that you tried to seduce Emma in order to get her to quit your own team, even though she´s probably your best player? You´re going to have to explain yourself a little better." Katie stood stoically in the corner, clutching her fists. She shook slightly at the thought that maybe Davies had also been pretending with her all along.  
  
Davies could see the hurt and shock in her eyes. Any chance I had with her is gone, he decided, and then also that he had nothing to loose. He calmly related the wrath of his father, his own strange and unexplained sensations of intense hatred, and the shame he experienced after Emma attacked him. When he finished he stood up and said, "That´s the best I can explain it. I´m sorry Katie. I wish I could take it all back. I just wanted you to know. I´ll leave you alone now." He pushed open the door but Katie called after him "Wait. Roger, I believe you. I believe that something strange is going on in all of this." Yanking the door shut, Davies turned slowly to face her. "Thank you," he said hesitantly. "Sit down," Katie told him and he did, watching her questioningly. "When is the last time you slept?" she asked him as she positioned herself next to him.  
  
"I don´t know," Davies replied, once again unnerved but this time by her closeness. "I slept a little."  
  
"You know that it´s Emma you really need to apologize to, not me."  
  
Davies nodded, his eyes drifting shut. "I know."  
  
"Well, we will go together to talk to her. But first, put your head back. You need sleep," Katie told him gently.  
  
Davies didn´t even reply before he fell asleep. As the train jolted his head slipped to Katie´s shoulder. "Naturally," Katie muttered. "You know I don´t have the will to move you," she whispered. Katie struggled for an hour not to touch his face or press her lips to his hair. Finally her shoulder hurt so much from the pressure of his head that she gave in to temptation and slipped her arm around him. In his sleep Davies shifted, tucking himself closer to her. His face rested against her neck and Katie could feel his steady warm breath. As she lifted her hand to touch his face and then dropped it in her lap, resisting, she suddenly remembered the events of the night she had taken the Intoxicating Charm.  
  
For the first time she relived that night fully and clearly, and it left her stunned. "For all that you messed up this year you´re still a pretty amazing guy," she whispered. "I just can´t believe how I acted. I guess if you could be so controlled that night I can be now. I just wish that I knew how you felt about me. Maybe you were just being gentlemanly. It´s a good thing I wasn´t conscious of what I was doing or I would have been pretty embarrassed." Katie fell silent and looked around the car trying to distract herself from the boy sleeping on her shoulder. The car wasn´t very distracting but she found herself wondering about Emma. She didn´t even know if Emma was on the train but hoped so. Maybe I can finally fully understand what is going on if I talk to both Roger and Emma, she thought.  
  
Another hour passed and Katie spent most of it wondering what Davies would do when he woke up and found her arm around him. She finally decided to shift him back to the wall when she found herself looking into his open eyes. "I´m sorry if this is my responsibility," he greeted her, sitting up and stretching.  
  
Katie pulled her arm away from him awkwardly. "It´s the fault of the train," she explained.  
  
Davies nodded. "Well thank you. I needed to sleep."  
  
"I could tell. Are you ready to look for Emma?"  
  
Davies pulled at his curls. "My hair is all messed up. I can´t go out like this."  
  
"Stop touching it," Katie responded. "You´re making it worse." She smoothed the barely-rumpled locks and smiled. "There, now you are fully presentable."  
  
They walked through the train, knocking at each car. Most of the occupants made some excuse and quickly shut the door when they saw Davies, but a few asked him how he was doing. At one door no one responded and Katie curiously shoved the door open, Davies peering over her shoulder. The two distracted occupants didn´t even notice the intruders but Katie quickly pulled the door closed. She stared at Davies, finally squeaking, "That was my best friend!"  
  
"And my best friend!" Davies added.  
  
"I need you to confirm that they were kissing." Katie still gripped the door handle, her other hand resting on her forehead.  
  
"They were kissing," Davies confirmed. "´I have a date with some quidditch plays,´" Davies scoffed. "Very funny, Jaeson. More like a quidditch player."  
  
"Why didn´t Angelina tell me?" Katie demanded.  
  
"I don´t know. I think sometimes these things sneak up on people," Davies answered. Katie looked into his eyes and for a moment thought his arm would come to rest above her head and he would kiss her like he had that night in the corridor. It was a perfect opportunity . . . but instead they continued searching for Emma. When they found her car they could hear her talking excitedly with someone. (Both were relieved because they feared that if she was with Oliver they might walk in on a similar scene as with Angelina and Jaeson).  
  
"I don´t know what the curse is, but my mother was very worried about it," Emma was saying. Katie knocked and called "Emma?" before pulling open the door. Emma, sitting next Oliver, smiled when she saw Katie but her face darkened as Davies followed.  
  
"What does he want?" Oliver demanded, but Emma quieted him.  
  
"They only way we´re going to solve this is with his help," she told Oliver, squeezing his hand. Oliver glared at Davies who held his hands up defensively. "I would be an idiot to try to hurt her again," he said, indicating his scarred face. "Besides, I came to confess." Oliver acknowledged him with raised eyebrows, but remained on the edge of his seat, as if ready to pounce. Davies and Katie sat across from Emma and Oliver and Davies gave his confession. When he came to the part in the shed Katie interjected, "What he´s trying to say is that he attempted to seduce you."  
  
At this Oliver jumped towards Davies, but Emma grabbed his arm and pulled him back. She was smiling slightly as she said, "Is that what you were doing? You know, for being one of Hogwarts top crushes you are pretty bad at seduction." Davies, face red, stared at the ground. "I know. But I wasn´t planning on you attacking me."  
  
Emma sighed and said, "I think you should take it as a lesson. Now, why did you do all of this?"  
  
Once again Davies explained his strange emotional responses - the intense rage and guilt. When he finished Emma was staring at him intensely.  
  
"Did your head hurt sometimes, as if all the emotion was beating against it and ready to explode?" she asked. Oliver and Katie looked at hear curiously but Davies responded, "Yes. Often. I thought it was because I couldn´t sleep well."  
  
Emma shook her head. More likely you couldn´t sleep well because of it. Davies, I think you have the same condition I have."  
  
Davies looked at Katie who was gripping his arm while staring intently at Emma. "What condition?"  
  
"Well, that´s the problem." Emma sighed deeply. "I don´t really know what it is. But I have an idea."  
  
"I've been wanting to know what my father's grudge is about for a long time," he explained the day that classes started again. He sat in the library with Emma, Katie, and Oliver for more "espionage" as Oliver put it. While they talked an occasional student, glancing curiously over their shoulder at the unusual combination of companions, perused the muggle studies books surrounding their table. The appearance of Emma and Davies together only worsened the already strange rumors.  
  
"I thought they would lock her up," an awestruck third year whispered to her friend as they scampered away from a scowling Emma. Emma ignored them and dropped three books in front of Davies saying, "Well hopefully we will finally find out what is going on." She sat down at the table and added, "Just remember that my mum is muggle and may not have known exactly what she was talking about. So the curse may not actually be called the 'Heritage Curse,' in fact it's probably not."  
  
"So what are we looking for then?" Oliver questioned, exasperated, pushing his mini-quidditch set out of Davies' curious gaze and leaning over Emma's shoulder.  
  
"I have no idea." Emma patted Oliver's head, smiling as he scowled.  
  
"I've looked at more books this year than in the rest of my life," he muttered.  
  
Emma pushed a book in front of him and ruffled his hair. "It's good for you."  
  
The four sat quietly for several minutes, sorting through the huge books, until a voice interjected, "Davies, you've forgotten we have a game in a week."  
  
Jaeson Riley leaned over the table between Davies and Emma. Without looking at him Davies replied, "I haven't forgotten - we have practice tomorrow night and every other night this week."  
  
"I think you forgot," Jaeson shot back.  
  
"Hm," Davies acknowledged him, turning a page in his book.  
  
The four ignored Jaeson until he asked, disconcerted, "What are you doing with all these books?"  
  
"What were you doing with all those 'books' on the train yesterday?" Davies responded casually.  
  
"Oh, well . . ." Jaeson sputtered. "I think I'll go now."  
  
Davies smiled with amusement, still not looking at Jaeson, and Katie snorted. Jaeson, face red, disappeared. Katie and Davies couldn't contain their laughter and Oliver and Emma watched them, baffled.  
  
"What was that all about?" Emma demanded.  
  
Davies couldn't stop laughing, but Katie motioned for Emma and Oliver to lean in closer.  
  
"Angelina and Jaeson . . . yesterday . . . on the train . . ." she sputtered between giggles.  
  
"No . . ." Emma exclaimed. "Angelina and Riley?"  
  
"What!" Oliver insisted, pulling on the now-laughing Emma's arm. This only made Katie, Davies, and Emma laugh even more. Oliver finally caught on, muttered, "Ohh . . ." and then started laughing as well. Everyone in the library stared at them and Madam Pince glared ferociously.  
  
Katie controlled her laughter first and whispered harshly, "Shhh! Roger, Emma, Oliver, c'mon! Madam Pince is going to come over here!" Oliver sobered almost immediately, and by biting his bottom lip Davies calmed down within a minute. Emma, however, had to bury her head against her arms on the table, her body shaking with laughter while Oliver patted her back to sooth her. Finally she looked up and whispered, "Sorry. New potion hasn't quite set in yet."  
  
"That's okay," Katie told her, sighing. "But maybe we should get back to work." Emma, Oliver, and Katie returned to their books, but Davies watched Emma for a minute. Her unusually dark and gleaming eyes reminded him of the intense brilliance of his own eyes, and even more so when her emotions took over. We do share something, he realized, amazed. Although he began to read his book on curses again he glanced at Emma every few minutes wondering what their connection was.  
  
After half an hour of silence Oliver suddenly casually asked Davies, "You play Slytherin, don't you?" although it was obvious that he already knew whom Ravenclaw would play in the upcoming match.  
  
"Yes," Davies replied equally casually. Oliver raised his eyes as if surprised and Davies felt a tinge of irritation.  
  
"Better for you if we loose, isn't it?" Davies questioned, staring intently at his book.  
  
"I suppose so," Oliver responded nonchalantly, also staring at his book.  
  
Katie and Emma watched the exchange warily, each ready to restrain the hotheaded quidditch captains, but Oliver and Davies ignored each other for the rest of the evening. "We might as well get to bed," Emma announced as the last studiers left the library. "We'll try again tomorrow."  
  
The mystery was forgotten, however, for the next three days as Davies pushed the Ravenclaw team through an almost destructive training schedule. Every moment they were not in class the weary team members ran play after play until they could no longer move. Davies' frenzy ignited a determination in the three other quidditch captains. At all hours of the day Hogwarts students witnessed not only organized practices but also spontaneous quidditch lectures in the hallways, intense arguments about strategies, and exasperated players running to hide from their captains.  
  
Late in the evening on the third day Katie hobbled back from practice blinking back tears. Every muscle in her body felt like it would snap, a sensation only worsened by her violent shivering. They had practiced in an abusive snowstorm, whipped and beaten until even the Weasley twins begged Oliver to end practice. Katie, desperate for warmth, had not even wanted to change in the locker rooms with the rest of the team. Now, however, she fell against a wall, lost in the dimly-lit castle and too exhausted to continue. "Where am I?" she muttered desperately, not even trying to look around. She rested with her face against the wall for a few minutes, struggling to hold back her tears. "I can do this. I can practice in horrible conditions and not be a wimp. I can find my way back to Gryffindor," she declared. But when she turned around she still didn't know which direction to walk.  
  
"Argh!" she exclaimed when suddenly a figure appeared from around the corner.  
  
"What's a pretty girl like you doing all alone in a place like this?" Davies asked.  
  
A mix of relief and nervousness at the site of Davies triggered Katie's tears. She hadn't spoken to him since the night in the library, but had wondered about him all through the tedious practices. Now as he stood in front of her, his arm resting above her head and his cleanliness and warmth invading her senses, she shamefully wiped at the tears and whispered, "I was just going back to Gryffindor after practice."  
  
Davies rubbed away the remaining tears from her chilled face and responded quiety, "Wood should not have you out practicing in this weather. You are freezing. He's going to make the whole team sick."  
  
"Your team was out as well," Katie said defensively, not looking in his eyes as she tried to stop the sudden heat rushing through her body.  
  
"I sent my team in as soon as the storm started," Davies defended himself. He brushed the snow off her cloak.  
  
"Don't do that," Katie protested, grabbing his hand and then dropping it abruptly. Davies raised his eyebrows and Katie, shuffling nervously, explained, "If you do that your hands will be cold."  
  
Davies calmly took her hand in both of his and rubbed her frozen fingers. "Is that better?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Y . . . yes," Katie stuttered. She stared intently at him as he took her other hand.  
  
"The truth is that I only let the team go in because Cho looked like she couldn't stand up anymore. So I really can't say that I'm any better than Wood."  
  
Katie smiled mildly. "Quidditch captains are all the same."  
  
Davies nodded. "Yeah, we are." He drew her hands to his lips and breathed on them gently. The tingling in Katie's stomach escalated.  
  
"Roger," she whispered. "Why don't you just kiss me?"  
  
Davies eyes widened in surprise as he smiled coyly. "Only if you threaten to rip my earrings out again."  
  
"If you come one step closer I will rip those earrings right out of your ears . . ." Katie broke off as Roger's lips met hers. He pulled her arms around his neck and Katie's fingers entangled in his hair as she returned his kiss.  
  
"I've been wanting you to kiss me back for years," Davies murmered, hugging her tightly against his chest.  
  
Katie pulled his head down and kissed him again. "Well I appreciate that you didn't give into me the night I took the Intoxicating Charm"  
  
Davies sighed. "You're welcome. It wasn't easy. But I knew you wouldn't remember it and the thought of kissing you and having you not remember hurt enough to stop me. As for the two other times that I did kiss you, well, I don't have an excuse for that." Davies started to pull away from Katie, suddenly ashamed, but she pulled him back.  
  
"Hey, it's okay. I understand why you did it and I know you do too. You don't have to be ashamed."  
  
Davies sighed as he hugged her tightly. "What did I do to deserve you?"  
  
"What did I do to deserve you?" Katie replied. They stood silently until Katie asked, "Just out of curiosity, if a girl who is part-veela shows up next year to participate in the Tri-Wizard Tournament you wouldn't go off into the bushes with her during the Christmas Ball, would you?"  
  
"Not if you're still here. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Oh, no reason. Just thought I'd check."  
  
"Okay," Davies replied, and kissed her. 


	8. In Which There is Reconciliation

"Professor Lupin! It's Emma Baxter, can I come in?" Emma knocked roughly at the professor's door and called for him for the fifth consecutive time. "Where is he?" she muttered, pushing on the door. "He's always here at this time."  
  
"Profesor Lupin is ill, Emma. Can I help you?"  
  
Emma glanced up at Dumbledore's friendly eyes and shrugged. "No, it's okay. I'll just talk to him later." She started to walk away but Dumbeldore asked, "Are you doing alright, Emma?"  
  
Emma again shrugged casually, imitating Davies and Oliver. "I'm fine. The new potions are finally working, people have started to ignore me instead of telling rumors about me and no one has run away screaming since a first year yesterday at lunch. I think she'd been hit with an itching spell, though."  
  
Dumbledore smiled mildly. "Roger isn't killing you with his quidditch practice schedule?"  
  
"Well he's probably killing the whole team but that seems to be the way of quidditch captatins."  
  
"Yes, your father was the same. Roger's father as well." Dumbledore paused and appeared to be thinking about the young Neil Davies and Naim Baxter.  
  
What is he remembering? Emma wondered. Maybe I should ask him about the Heritage Curse . . . but Dumbledore smiled at her, said "I'm starting to feel old," and disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.  
  
"They are all hiding the same thing and whatever it is it's what I need to know!" Emma grumbled, storming down the hall. It was just after Roger's unexpected early dismissal of the Ravenclaw quidditch team from practice. Emma was determined to use her precious free time to uncover the Heritage Curse. However, her first and biggest lead - Professor Lupin - had slammed into a dead end. "Back to the books." Emma sighed, running up the stairs to her dormitory. She grabbed three enormous books about curses and thundered back down the stairs.  
  
Although the common room was full of students no one spoke to Emma as she dragged a dark blue arm chair into a corner and sank down with the three books in her lap. Several students peered at her warily and Jaeson Riley smiled, but even he turned back to his game of wizard chess. Emma ignored them in response and opened the first book, several crumpled pages falling to the floor. Emma picked them up, smoothed them, and tucked them in the back of the book. The next time that she looked up from the book was two hours later when Davies suddenly appeared.  
  
"I thought you'd be sleeping after practice," he greeted her, sitting on the arm of her chair.  
  
Emma jolted, startled, and the three books tumbled to the floor. "You didn't have to scare me like that!" she exclaimed, picking up the books and the loose pages that had fallen out again.  
  
Davies smiled calmly and said in an uncharacteristically lazy voice, "Sorry. I didn't know you were so enraptured with your reading." He drew out the word "enraptured" and Emma narrowed her eyebrows at him, irritated.  
  
"What is with you? You are acting very flaky. And your hair is a mess. What have you been doing?"  
  
"Oh, nothing," Davies said with a sigh, touching his rumpled hair. 'I hadn't even noticed my hair," he added with a short laugh.  
  
Emma shook her head. "You are ill, boy. Go to sleep."  
  
"I'm not ill, I'm just happy." Davies laughed again, and Emma looked at him, startled. She dropped one of the books in his lap, saying, "I think it's best that you help me look for the Heritage Curse. You're sounding more like me every day."  
  
"Maybe we're twins!" Davies exclaimed, flipping the cover of the book open and closed.  
  
Emma shook her head emphatically. "No, I am sure that we are not twins. Look at yourself and then look at me."  
  
Davies, putting his face very close to her's, said, "Well, our eyes are the same, except for the color. But the hair is a bit of a problem."  
  
Emma pushed him back and said sternly, "Just read the book."  
  
Davies opened his book, humming to himself as he flipped through the pages. "I think it's great how everyone is staring at us. I wonder what the rumors are now."  
  
"The rumors are going to be that I strangled you in the Ravenclaw common room if you do not shut up!" Emma angrily shuffled through the loose pages from the first book while Davies watched her curiously.  
  
"I'm going to look for the Heritage Curse so that you will stop having temper tantrums. It makes me nervous and it's just not very attractive."  
  
Emma clenched her fists but didn't respond. She opened the cover of the book to tuck the loose papers inside but stopped abruptly. "Roger . . ." she whispered, hitting his arm. "Roger, Roger, Roger!" Her voice grew steadily until she was almost yelling. The few students still left in the common room stared at her.  
  
Davies leaned over her shoulder as she shook a paper in his face. "This is it!" she whispered harshly.  
  
Roger grabbed the paper with one hand and touched her arm with the other saying, "Calm down." But only a second later he exclaimed, "Bloody hell! You're right!" The other startled students in the common room made a quick exit, unsure if they wanted to see where the strange scene was leading.  
  
"I can't believe this! It explains everything!" Emma squealed. "Or at least almost everything."  
  
Davies jumped to his feet, pulling Emma up after him. "Let's go! We need to find Katie and Oliver."  
  
"I haven't snuck into Gryffindor in years, but I think I can still do it," Davies whispered as he and Emma stopped abruptly around the corner from Gryffindor tower. "You wait here."  
  
"Be careful," Emma called hoarsely after him, panting slightly after their hard run from the Ravenclaw common room.  
  
"Trust me," Davies shot back and disappeared around the corner. Emma jumped impatiently from foot to foot while she waited for him to return, her frantic excitement bubbling to the surface in short squeals. She only had to wait two minutes but was still ready to explode when Davies practically tumbled around the corner with a frazzled Katie and irritated Oliver.  
  
"What took you so long?" she demanded. Oliver took her arm as Davies rolled his eyes.  
  
"That was amazing timing," Davies protested. "And what's more, no one saw me except for these two."  
  
"But how did you do that?"  
  
Davies started to answer her but Oliver broke in. "What is going on? You made it sound like there was something seriously wrong and I do not appreciate you breaking in and . . ."  
  
"Calm down, Oliver." Emma squeezed his hand and he relaxed, although his gaze still rested warily on Davies who glared back with equal menace.  
  
"Why don't we get out of this hallway," Katie interjected, steering Davies away from Oliver. She and Davies had agreed not to say anything about their relationship to Oliver and Emma for fear of their reaction. Davies led them quickly to an unused classroom and after they were all inside cast a spell on the door.  
  
"That should keep anyone out, but we only have half an hour," he explained.  
  
"You seem to know some shady magic," Oliver commented as they sat on the floor.  
  
Davies conjured a floating ball of fire as he replied, "Everyone knows some shady magic." "Will the both of you shut up!" Emma exclaimed. She was still clutching the piece of loose parchment from the book about curses and dropped it in Oliver's lap. "Look at this."  
  
Katie leaned over, trying to see the parchment as Oliver read it carefully. "But . . . bloody hell," Oliver muttered.  
  
Katie grabbed the parchment from him and started to read out loud. "The Heritage Curse, although inconsistent, destroys families across several generations. It is triggered by a grudge in one generation that produces a variety of effects in the following generations until the grudge is resolved. The most common effects are heightened and violent emotional responses and a deep desire for revenge. Often the victims are mistaken for werewolves, but are easily identifiable by their dark, almost pupil- less eyes." Katie stopped reading and stared, dumbstruck, at Emma, Oliver, and Davies. Side by side, Emma and Davies stared back, drilling into Katie with their dark eyes. "Why does Roger have one green eye?" she asked.  
  
"It says the curse is 'inconsistent,'" Davies replied, shrugging. "I don't know what that means, but I think it may be an explanation. Everything else matches too perfectly for that to be a serious problem."  
  
Katie nodded. "You're right. This is it. It explains everything, even Roger's strange behavior."  
  
"And we know that there is a serious argument between the two fathers," Oliver added. For the first time that year he spoke to Davies docilely. "You said that your father has had this grudge against Mr. Baxter as long as you can remember but you don't know why. You just know that it caused him to want Emma off the Ravenclaw team."  
  
Davies nodded and sighed. "My guess is that it's related to quidditch. My father was Ravenclaw captain for three years but he never won the Quidditch Cup."  
  
Emma looked at him thoughtfully. "Exactly 20 years ago my father won the Quidditch Cup as captain of Hufflepuff. It's possible . . . but no one holds a grudge that big over just a quidditch match."  
  
"Well, I don't know." Oliver looked at Davies. "I think that most quidditch captains would hold a grudge if they really cared about the match."  
  
Davies nodded his agreement. "My father was captain exactly 20 years ago as well. I'd say it's very possible that the grudge is about that match."  
  
Emma shook her head slowly. "It still doesn't seem like enough. People hold little grudges every day -- this had to be a serious grudge."  
  
"So where do we go from here?" Oliver asked. Emma pulled her hair back forcefully. "I don't know." She sighed, letting her hair fall back into her face. "I think we prepare for the quidditch match on Saturday."  
  
"Do you believe that the weather is foreboding of bad events?" Katie shouted to Angelina as they climbed the bleachers that Saturday for the Ravenclaw versus Hufflepuff quidditch match. The ravaging wind whipped their cloaks and whined in their ears while angrily spiraling tiny snowflakes around them.  
  
"The only thing this weather is foreboding of is a bad quidditch match - at least for us," Angelina replied as she brushed off the snow on a bleacher and sank down beside Katie.  
  
Katie pulled her cloak tightly around herself and stamped her feet, trying to warm them. "My feet feel like, well actually they don't feel like anything. I'm not sure that's a good sign."  
  
Angelina smirked. "Weather like this is murder for the spectators but good for a well-prepared quidditch team. You know that. Davies has had Ravenclaw out every day practicing in weather much worse than this. And I'm sure Cedric has done the same with Huffelpuff."  
  
"She's right," Oliver confirmed as he seemed to materialize out of the blinding snow. He tossed a blanket over the two girls and settled in beside Katie. "I think these two teams are evenly matched, and they would be no matter what the weather. I don't know who's going to win."  
  
Katie studied his face and tried to follow his gaze. He seemed to be staring at someone several feet away but she couldn't tell whom. I'm amazed he's so calm today, she thought. This has to be a tough position for him. We have a better chance at the cup if Ravenclaw loses, but I know he wants Emma to be on the winning team today.  
  
"Do you think Emma is prepared to fly in these conditions?" Katie asked, trying to prompt Oliver to talk more about the game.  
  
Oliver looked at her thoughtfully and Katie was startled by maturity in his dark eyes. "She's prepared," he said slowly, his eyebrows crinkling slightly. "Katie I just thought of something that we'd all forgotten about.  
  
"What?" Katie asked, struggling to pull the blanket more tightly around her shoulders without pulling it off of Angelina.  
  
Oliver knelt precariously in front of them on the slippery bench and adjusted the blanket around both girls as he explained, "The cursed broom that Emma used to use was in her family for a long time, right? But it's really capable of making its rider the best flier in the world. Davies cursed it so that Emma couldn't fly, but whoever used it before Emma got the full effect of being the best in the world. They would have been unbeatable. And if that broom was used in a match . . ."  
  
"Whoever used it would have won the game unfairly!" Katie finished.  
  
Oliver nodded as he climbed back on the bench beside her. "Exactly."  
  
"Wow." Angelina stared at Katie and Oliver. "I had no idea all of this was going on."  
  
"Sorry." Katie shrugged. "Things have been a little crazy. But I think that Oliver may just have given us the last clue that we need. Oliver, we need to talk to Emma . . ." Katie broke off because Oliver was staring into the distance again. "Who are you looking at?" Katie questioned.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I think it's Davies' mother. She's pretty easy to spot." Oliver pointed across the field to where the Ravenclaw fans were seated. "Do you see her? She's wearing that big black fuzzy coat."  
  
"You're right!" Katie exclaimed. "That is her! And that's his father next to her."  
  
"The woman that looks like a puffy penguin?" Angelina asked, leaning over Katie.  
  
"She does not look like a penguin!" Oliver replied indignantly. "She is gorgeous."  
  
Katie rolled her eyes and Angelina snorted. "I think she looks a little bit like a pirate too," Katie determined.  
  
"A very beautiful pirate princess," Oliver said with a sigh.  
  
"Oh brother," Angelina muttered.  
  
"Well she is pretty," Katie agreed. "And his father is, well, not so bad himself."  
  
"Eww!" Oliver finally looked away from Mrs. Davies to stick his tongue out at Katie.  
  
"I can't believe we're discussing how attractive Davies' parents are." Angelina shook her head and huddled closer to Katie. Oliver and Katie laughed.  
  
"Sorry, we'll stop now," Katie said, patting Angelina on the head with her mittened-hand. She wanted to comment about how she didn't need to look at the father when she already had the son, but Oliver still didn't know about her relationship with Davies. Angelina did, however, and was happy to for once be in on something that Emma and Oliver didn't know about.  
  
The three Gryffindor quidditch players were silent for awhile, watching the other students struggle up the snowy stands. Katie thought it was very funny that all three of them were dating members of the Ravenclaw team. Katie of course wanted Gryffindor to win the cup, but she still had two years at Hogwarts to win, and therefore was less passionate about it than Oliver. She was excited for Davies and Emma and hoped they would win the match that day.  
  
Just before the game started Angelina spotted Alicia sitting alone several levels down and went to join her. Oliver pulled the excess blanket over his knees and knotted his cold fingers in the soft fabric. "Little bit ridiculous, isn't it?" he commented.  
  
"What's ridiculous?" Katie asked.  
  
"Oh just that we're up here freezing and the two people that could keep us warm are both playing in the match."  
  
"Yeah, it is a little bit ridiculous . . ." Katie began and then realized her mistake. "How did you know that Roger and I were together?"  
  
Oliver smiled his charming smile, somewhat self-righteously. "Well I wasn't sure, but the way he was looking at you made me suspicious. Guys aren't totally oblivious to these things you know."  
  
Katie laughed. "I guess not. So it doesn't bother you that we're together?"  
  
"Well when I first started to suspect that he liked you I wanted to punch him, but then I realized that you're probably capable of taking care of yourself. The guy may be a jerk but he was under the influence of a curse and . . ."  
  
"That's enough," Katie broke in, pulling the blanket off of him and wrapping it more tightly around herself. "You can stop the tough guy act now. I know you don't really hate him."  
  
"I do too hate him . . ." Oliver began to protest but then shrugged. He sat quietly for a moment and then said, "I'm nervous about the game today."  
  
Katie sighed. "I know. There's a lot at stake."  
  
Oliver nodded but didn't say any more. Instead he began to pull at the blanket as he exclaimed, "You can't hog the blanket! I'm the one who brought it out here!"  
  
"But I'm the girl!" Katie twisted away from him, but couldn't go far because the bench was full. The two second-year girls at her side watched her jealously as Oliver tugged at the blanket again.  
  
"Please! I am freezing!"  
  
"Oh alright, but only because you're being such a baby." Katie threw the entire blanket over his head and Oliver yanked it off, disheveling his damp hair. The second years' mouths dropped open as Oliver smoothed one half of the blanket over his lap and adjusted the other half around Katie's shoulders. Just then, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff appeared on the field. The game was about to begin.  
  
"I've never seen anything like this!" Oliver exclaimed for the fifth time only ten minutes into the game. He watched Emma smash a bludger into the broomstick of Hufflepuff keeper Eric Jaspers, clearing the way for Davies' fifth goal shot of the game.  
  
"Ravenclaw scores again!" Lee Jordan shouted. "That's seventy points for Ravenclaw and still zero for Hufflepuff. Captain Roger Davies will not be stopped, and new beater Emma Baxter may win this game for him!"  
  
"It's true," Oliver told Katie as Emma aimed another bludger at Eric. "She makes it impossible for Jaspers to do anything but dodge bludgers, and that allows Ravenclaw to make every shot. It's a fascinating strategy."  
  
"And look at Jaeson Riley," Katie added, pointing. "He is single-handedly keeping all of the Hufflepuff chasers away from the quaffles."  
  
"I've never seen anything like it," Oliver replied, shaking his head.  
  
Katie watched Cedric Diggory motioning frantically at his beaters to do something about Emma. The two frustrated beaters, however, could not even intercept a bludger.  
  
"I would hate to be Diggory right now," Oliver muttered as Ravenclaw chaser Emmet Stone scored another goal.  
Over the next ten minutes Ravenclaw scored another sixty points and Hufflepuff managed twenty when beater Douglas Croft literally tore a bludger from Jaeson's hands and hurtled it at Emma. Oliver jumped to his feet as Emma fell, but sank back down when she rose into the air only a minute later.  
  
"Amazing," Oliver said as she regained her assault on Eric Jaspers.  
  
Just then, Cho Chang, who had been hovering in a corner of the field, suddenly shot towards the ground. Adam Finnigan, the Hufflepuff seeker, tore after her. Everyone in the stands popped to their feet, watching the chase. Cho turned abruptly back upwards, her hand outstretched, Adam only inches behind her.  
  
She's going to catch it!" Katie exclaimed, gripping Oliver's arm. But suddenly a bludger, seemingly out of nowhere, hurtled at Cho's head. As she swerved sideways to avoid it Adam pulled ahead. In the excitement over the appearance of the snitch Emma had lost control of her bludger and Douglas had aimed it perfectly at Cho.  
  
"No!" Katie yelled, but it was too late. Adam lunged forward and grabbed the snitch. Chaos erupted as Lee Jordan shouted, "And Hufflepuff wins the game by only thirty points! What a game!"  
  
Students began to pour down from the stands onto the snowy field, but Katie and Oliver sat down, stunned.  
  
"I can't believe it," Oliver whispered. "I really can't believe it. I thought I would finally see a game where the team that didn't catch the snitch won."  
  
Katie buried her face in the blanket now balled up in her lap. "I did too," she mumbled. She raised her head up with a sigh and remarked, "Emma was fantastic. I had no idea she was that good."  
  
Oliver shook his head and said with a short laugh, "I had no idea as well. Nor did I know that Davies was such a wicked strategist. Wow."  
  
"Hey, are you two coming!" Angelina yelled from the bottom of the stands and Oliver and Katie were suddenly reminded of their surroundings.  
  
"Yeah, in a minute!" Katie shouted back. Angelina waved and climbed down to the field.  
  
"We really should go see them," Katie said, gathering the blanket in her arms and standing up. She tugged on Oliver's sleeve and once again tried to follow his distracted gaze across the field. "Are you ready?"  
  
"I was just thinking about the things that have happened on this field this year," he explained. "A lot has changed." He smiled disarmingly and Katie's heart jolted. For a moment she saw herself as she had wanted to be just a few months before - the sole receiver of those rewarding smiles. Then she laughed and thought, 'It's just a smile.'  
  
"What is that smirk you have on your face?" Oliver demanded as he followed Katie down to the field.  
  
Katie did not tell him that she was smirking because she could think of him as just a smile. Instead she said, "I'm dating a guy who I've gotten to know through encounters in dark corridors, who stalked and attacked one of my best friends, and who looks disturbingly like a pirate. How did this happen to me?"  
  
"The same way I ended up dating a girl who plays beater for a rival team, has weird emotional outbursts, and put a guy in hospital wing," Oliver replied.  
  
"What way is that?" Katie asked.  
  
"I think it has to do with the eyes," Oliver determined. "Hm. You could be right."  
  
A few minutes later the two stood outside the Ravenclaw locker rooms with a crowd of excited fans and friends. Katie noticed that Davies parents had disappeared. "Are you sure we saw the Davies?" she asked Oliver.  
  
"I am positive," Oliver replied, glancing around. "It was definitely Mrs. Davies."  
  
"I wonder where they went," she said, but just then Davies emerged from the locker room, followed by Emma and the rest of the team. The team looked tired, but Davies, much to the surprise of everyone, was smiling.  
  
"That was the best bloody game of quidditch I have ever played!" he exclaimed, walking excitedly towards Katie and Oliver.  
  
"Me too!" Emma shouted, throwing herself into Oliver's arms. Oliver laughed and hugged her.  
  
"That was the only game of quidditch you have ever played in," he said, pulling back to look at her. "And you were amazing. I am proud of you." Emma grinned at him and hugged him again.  
  
"I'm pretty proud of her too." Davies stood next to Katie, his arm resting casually around her shoulders. "Now what ever could have possessed me to try to get you off the team?"  
  
Emma's eyebrows narrowed. "I wish we knew the full answer to that question." She sighed and then smiled. "But let's not worry about it right now. Let's go celebrate!"  
  
The four joined the group of exuberant students moving towards Hogwarts. Unnoticed by the noisy crowd, Katie took Davies' hand and in his ear asked quietly, "You're not disappointed about losing, are you? It really was a fantastic game. You should have won."  
  
"I am not disappointed at all," Davies confirmed with a smile. "A captain can only hope his team will do the best they can. Winning is just a fringe benefit. I could not be more pleased with what my team did today."  
  
"I wish Oliver would say things like that," Katie replied dryly.  
  
Davies laughed. "I'm sure he thinks those things every now and then. He just can't quite make himself say them."  
  
"What are you two muttering about back there?" Oliver demanded as they reached Hogwarts.  
  
"You," Katie shot back.  
  
Before Oliver could manage a comeback Professor Lupin greeted them just inside the front entrance. "There are some people who want to see you," he explained, pulling Katie, Oliver, Emma, and Davies away from the rest of the group. "Follow me."  
  
Emma, Oliver, Katie, and Davies hurried down the hall following Professor Lupin. As they turned abruptly around a corner and stopped in front of the trophy room Oliver glanced at Emma who shrugged.  
  
"No idea," she mouthed. Katie and Davies were equally baffled. Professor Lupin opened the door and all four were shocked to see Emma's parents and Davies' parents sitting quietly at a table together.  
  
"Mum? Dad? What are you doing here?" Emma exclaimed in the same moment that Davies rushed over to his mother.  
  
"Were you here for the game?" Davies asked, hugging his mother and greeting his father with a handshake.  
  
His father smiled and replied, "Yes, and it was a bloody good game, son. Where is that beater of your's?" To the surprise of everyone in the room, Mr. Davies extended his hand to Emma who had been talking with her parents. "That was some mighty fine quidditch playing, Emma. You should have won."  
  
Th, thanks," Emma stuttered, taking a step back from the table and clutching her hand to her chest as if she expected Mr. Davies had cursed it. "What's going on?" she asked her parents. She glanced anxiously around the table like a frightened animal. "Why are you all here?"  
  
"It's all right Emma, why don't you have a seat," her mother said, guiding her into a chair between Mrs. Davies and herself.  
  
"Before we get started," Mrs. Davies said, standing up graciously, "There are a few more people who need an introduction. With a delicate hand gesture, she beckoned Oliver and Katie who were still standing uncertainly in the doorway. Professor Lupin had disappeared. Katie and Oliver walked to the table, smiling awkwardly. "Nice to see you both again," she told them, smiling. "This is Katie Bell and Oliver Wood," she said, indicating each as she spoke. "And this is Emily and Naim Baxter, and my husband Neil. There we are. Now you may have a seat." Oliver and Katie sat down tentatively across from the Davies, while Emma watched the scene with a look of confusion and discomfort and, from his place next to his father, Davies smiled mildly.  
  
"How is it that you're all here together so calmly?" Emma demanded.  
  
"Well it's a bit of a story," her father said, looking from his wife to Mrs. Davies to Mr. Davies. "And I think the place to start is to hear what's happened to the four of you this year."  
  
"Is this a trick?" Emma asked, staring at her father, eyebrows narrowed.  
  
"No, it's no trick. There are things we should have told you a long time ago. But before we can explain we need to know what you know."  
  
"Okay," Emma conceded. "Should I explain or does one of you want to?" she asked Katie, Oliver, and Davies. Oliver and Katie still seemed unable to speak but nodded, and Davies said, "We'll let you know if you forget anything." Emma stuck her tongue out at him good-naturedly, and stood up. She paced around the room as she told the entire story, starting with her first encounter with Oliver on the quidditch field and ending with the discovery of the Heritage Curse. Occasionally Davies, Katie, or Oliver filled in a detail and Emma would stop suddenly, stare at them while they spoke, and resume exactly where she had left off. When she finished the story she stopped in front of her chair and stared at the four parents, who stared back with expressions of surprise or shock.  
  
"There is one more thing," Katie said quietly. Emma looked at her, startled, and all four parents looked at Katie as well. "Something Oliver said today during the game." She related Oliver's comment about the Baxter family broom and the possibility that someone had used it to cheat. As she did, Mr. Baxter winced and Mr. Davies' face darkened. "Is that what happened?" she asked with surprising confidence.  
  
Mr. Baxter sighed. "I had no idea you kids had learned so much, or that you were so worried. You should have asked one of us about it."  
  
Davies snorted. "I tried that for years. No offense Mr. Baxter, but my dad wasn't talking and I have my doubts that you were. We did what we thought we had to do."  
  
Mr. Davies looked sadly at his son as Mr. Baxter said, "I suppose you're right, Roger. I probably wouldn't have wanted to say anything. But if I'd known it would help Emma . . ." he trailed off, seeming to grow more tired with every word he spoke.  
  
"This has been going on far too long," Mr. Davies said suddenly. "Elizabeth, would you please begin the explanations."  
  
Mrs. Davies was the only adult still smiling. "Although I'm sure you are all most interested in what happened to begin the curse. . ."  
  
"So it is The Heritage Curse!" Emma interrupted.  
  
"Yes it is," Mrs. Davies confirmed. "Although none of us were sure until a few days ago. When Roger came home for Christmas I could see that something was seriously wrong and I began to expect that his anger was not completely natural. So I started to do some research, beginning with Emily. It was Emily that told me about The Heritage Curse, although she had almost forgotten about it." She nodded at Mrs. Baxter to continue the story.  
  
"As you all know, I didn't go to Hogwarts. During Naim, Neil, and Elizabeth's seventh year I was studying in Europe and I came to visit Hogwarts over the Christmas holidays. I met many students, among them, Remus Lupin. It was he that told me about The Heritage Curse. I didn't understand much about magic, but what he said stuck with me and became important in the events that followed."  
  
Emma was leaning forward on the table, watching her mother intently. Davies' chin was propped on his hand, a look of intensity accenting his handsome features. Across from him, Katie unknowingly twisted her hair around her finger and Oliver toyed with the blanket from the quidditch match.  
  
"So what happened?" Oliver asked, looking up from his lap at Mrs. Baxter.  
  
"Neil, why don't you explain," Mr. Davies offered. Mr. Baxter smiled weakly and Emma felt as if the emotions that had been clogging her mind for several years began to leak out. She glanced at Davies who was pressing his hand to his head. He nodded as if to say, "Yes, I felt that too."  
  
"Neil and I were best friends since our first day at Hogwarts," Mr. Baxter was saying. "We played quidditch from third year on, and were both captains for fifth, sixth, and seventh year - Neil for Ravenclaw and me for Hufflepuff. The competition was tough, but since neither one of us had much of a change at winning the cup, it didn't matter much. That all changed, however, our seventh year. Slytherin and Gryffindor both had injuries on their teams and that gave Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff a shot at the cup. During Christmas holidays, while Emily was visiting, there was a match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. The winner of that match would play Slytherin for the cup. Neil and I agreed that we would be happy for whichever team won the game and that our friendship was more important than the game, but it was still difficult for both of us. The night before the game I received a new broom in the mail from the family broomaker. It was a fantastic broom so I used it in the game, but I didn't tell anyone."  
  
He hesitated for a moment and his wife squeezed his hand. Emma was staring and her father, completely enraptured. "We played the match and Hufflepuff won. Neil was upset but still happy for me. We all celebrated together that night. During the party, Neil was examining the broom, practicing some spells on it, and he discovered the spell. He confronted me, obviously furious that I had won the game unfairly. I told him I hadn't known anything about it but he was too angry to listen." Mr. Baxter's voice wobbled as he looked at Mr. Davies.  
  
Mr. Davies stared down at the table, resembling his son when he had confessed to Katie his attacks on Emma. Davies simply watched his father, his eyes glistening with barely withheld tears. "I was so angry and humiliated and overcome with guilt," Mr. Davies explained slowly. "The match had meant more to me than I let on and I was furious that Neil would cheat. Too furious to see that he really hadn't known about the broom. I felt guilty about not really being happy for his win and that only added to my anger." There was silence for several minutes until Mrs. Baxter finally said, "I left two days later. Elizabeth and I had become good friends but I knew we would likely never talk again. I tried to work up the courage to tell Naim about the Heritage Curse, but I was ashamed to act like I knew more about magic than he did. Eventually I forgot about the curse, or maybe forced myself to forget it. Even during the time when Emma was visiting doctors I didn't think of the curse. But when Elizabeth contacted me and told me that Roger was having problems too I knew that the curse was the answer."  
  
"But how did you all end up here?" Davies asked. "How did you get Mr. Baxter and Dad to talk?"  
  
Mrs. Davies sighed, the only sign of frustration or sorrow she had expressed during the entire meeting. "It wasn't easy. But once we knew what we were dealing with we had somewhere to start. It was seeing how much the grudge was hurting both of you that really pulled them out of it."  
  
Mr. Davies nodded and smiled at his son. "I've been very stupid, son, and I'm sorry. I've already apologized to Naim and now I want to apologize to you and Emma. There's still time for these two families to have the friendship they should have had all along." "I forgive you, dad," Davies said. "If only because we don't need any more anger in our family." He smiled and Mr. Davies laughed.  
  
Mr. Davies looked at Emma who stared back at him, her eyes narrowed slightly. There was silence and everyone around the table held their breath. Suddenly Emma laughed and shook her head. "I forgive you," she said. "And I want you to know that I did not use that broom in the game today. We lost fairly!"  
  
Mr. Davies laughed. "I know you didn't use it. Remus has it and he's going to destroy it. And you should have won."  
  
"What I don't understand," Katie broke in suddenly, "Is why you wanted Emma to use that broom in the first place."  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Baxter both hesitated but Mr. Baxter finally said, "It's difficult to explain. Part of it is that no one except for the four of us new about the capabilities of the broom, but everyone knew that I had it. A family broom has to be passed down or there would be questions, not to mention curses. No one could find out about what had happened with that broom. We also didn't expect that Emma would become a quidditch player - she had never liked flying. So I dulled the effects of the broom with a spell and figured it would serve her for her classes. What I couldn't figure out was why she was such a terrible flyer - the broom should have guaranteed that at least she could fly well. But of course now we know that it was Roger's curse, on top of my spell, that was causing the strange effects."  
  
"That's why I was so bad!" Emma exclaimed. "No wonder. I don't feel so bad about it now. But why did you let me have the new broom?"  
  
"We talked to Archimedes about making you a new broom, although we assumed he wouldn't" Mrs. Baxter explained. "He has to make the new broom when he feels it is time. He told us that it wasn't possible yet for several years so we thought there was nothing we could do. But then a few weeks later we received the new broom, and not long after that learned of Archimedes' death."  
  
"He's dead?" Emma asked. "That's really strange."  
  
Mrs. Baxter shrugged. "He was almost two hundred years old. Anyway, we examined the broom, as did Remus, and determined that it was spell and curse free."  
  
"Well I think I've had enough for today," Emma said slowly, struggling to keep her eyes open. She was feeling gradually more tired as the emotional release from the breaking of the curse continued. "I could really use some sleep . . ." Davies was almost asleep on the table as well.  
  
"I'll take her back," Oliver offered, walking over to Emma and lifting her gently out of the chair."  
  
"There's one more thing we'd like to do first," Mr. Baxter said. Oliver sank into Emma's chair and settled her in his lap. She slumped forward onto the table.  
  
Mr. Davies rose and took one of the cups from the many trophy tables in the room. "This is the quidditch cup from our seventh year. Slytherin ended up winning, actually. I'm going to put a spell on this trophy so that whenever someone picks it up they will hear the story of what happened to our two families and be warned about the Heritage Curse." He set the cup on the table and smiled. Next to him, Davies snored. "With your help, Naim, I'll take my son up to his dormitory so he can get some proper rest."  
  
"Oh it's alright," Katie told them. "Roger never gets proper rest."  
  
Mr. Davies looked at his slumbering son. "I think he will now, Katie."  
  
Davies slept for three days straight, and Emma for two. The evening of the third day, Emma, Katie, Oliver, and Angelina were sitting at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"What I still can't believe is that I didn't pick up on your relationship with Roger right away. I should have guessed that night he came back with his hair all rumpled acting like he'd just been accepted on a professional quidditch team," Emma said, looking up from her Care of Magical Creatures book at Katie who was writing a composition on computer technology for Muggle Studies . On Emma's other side, Oliver attempted to replay the quidditch match from three days before using his miniature quidditch set, and from across the table Angelina watched him curiously.  
  
"Well I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Katie replied. "But we weren't sure how you would react. Roger obviously wasn't your favorite person and . . ."  
  
"Well I don't mind him now! You should have told me right away!" Emma chided, pretending to glare at Katie.  
  
Katie rolled her eyes. "I thought for a little while that maybe you were going to calm down some now that the curse is broken, but you are definitely still crazy."  
  
Emma stuck her tongue out at Katie and said, "Well, it's a controlled craziness now. I feel like being crazy, so I'm crazy. If I feel like calming down, than I do. It's not like before when my emotions controlled me."  
  
"No, I know. And I can tell the difference. I don't think you'll be attacking any more boys."  
  
"It's really kind of sad," Emma said with a sigh. "Now if some guy corners me in a shed I'll just have to use what I've learned at Hogwarts rather than brute strength." Katie and Angelina laughed, but Oliver, still intently prodding the figures in his miniature quidditch field, didn't respond.  
  
"He's oblivious, just like all guys," Angelina commented.  
  
"I am not oblivious, I am focused!" Oliver muttered, startling the three girls. "And to prove to you all that I am not just a stupid male who never notices anything, I will tell you that I noticed before any of you that Emma's eyes are starting to turn blue."  
  
"He's right!" Katie peered into Emma's eyes, examining the faint traces of pale blue.  
  
"Really?" Emma asked, blinking several times. "That's interesting."  
  
"Hm." Oliver made an indignant noise and mumbled, "Just because I'm handsome and a quidditch captain doesn't mean I'm an idiot."  
  
Angelina raised her eyes at Emma and Katie and all three had to stifle giggles. Emma ruffled Oliver's hair, smiling bemusedly.  
  
"Katie!" Oliver suddenly exclaimed, and startled, Emma pulled her hand away from his head. "Will you please untangle yourself from Davies so that I can run this play correctly!" "What?" Katie asked and leaned over Emma to look into the model field. "Oh my. Sorry about that, but I don't know if I can do anything."  
  
Oliver growled. "Ridiculous behavior for a quidditch captain," he muttered. "Snogging on the job."  
  
Emma starting laughing so hard that it took her several minutes to recover. "I guess I'm not over those laughing attacks yet," she sputtered when she finally managed to stop.  
  
"I guess not," Katie confirmed. "But that's okay. I like you better with the laughing attacks." Emma smiled and the table was peaceful for several minutes until Katie said, "Do you think Roger is going to sleep for the rest of term? I'd like to see him."  
  
As an answer to her question there was a sudden uproar in the great hall as all heads turned towards the main entrance. Several Gryffindor girls down the table started giggling, and it quickly spread to the other three tables.  
  
"What is he wearing," Emma asked, appalled.  
  
"Well it appears to be a t-shirt and pajama pants," Katie replied, pressing a hand to her face and squinting at Davies as he passed through the crowd of stunned females.  
  
"The part where the t-shirt doesn't have sleeves is what makes it in muggle terms a 'wife-beater,'" Emma informed her.  
  
"That's a horrible name," Angelina commented and Emma shrugged.  
  
"Yes, it is, but unfortunately the shirt fits him, well, brilliantly."  
  
"Bloody hell," Katie muttered.  
  
"Now this is not a fair way to collect fans. I could walk through here naked . . ."  
  
"Oliver! Don't even say things like that . . ." Emma was interrupted by the arrival of Davies at the table, accompanied by Jaeson Riley.  
  
"I tried to stop him," Jaeson said, wincing. "But he said he wanted to come down right away."  
  
"I've been asleep for three days! I wanted to see what was going on. Besides, I don't see what the big deal is . . ." Katie pulled Davies down beside her, cutting off his explanation. "Look at you! Your hair is a wreck, you're not dressed properly, you just slept for three days in your own bed - what is going on?" she demanded.  
  
"The curse is broken," Davies replied quietly, pulling Katie into his arms and resting his head against her hair. "And I don't care if the whole school sees me like this. I just wanted to be with you."  
  
"Um, I'm a little bit afraid that a riot is going to begin if we don't get him out of here," Jaeson said softly, indicating the now angry masses of bug-eyed girls.  
  
Katie, Davies, Oliver, Emma, Jaeson, and Angelina quickly left the Great Hall, leaving the mob of girls to wistfully discuss what they had just witnessed. "It's not fair!" Katie heard one girl exclaim just as the huge doors shut behind them. No, it isn't fair, Katie thought. As Jaeson and Angelina disappeared and Oliver and Emma slipped outside, Katie pulled Davies into a corner.  
  
"I want you to know how much you mean to me," Katie told him. She tangled her fingers in his tussled hair and tilted his head down to kiss him gently. Davies hugged her and sighed saying, "There's nothing you could say that would make me happier."  
  
Outside Oliver and Emma walked through the quidditch field, hand-in-hand.  
  
"Thanks for supporting me through all of this," Emma said. "You were an incredibly loyal friend even before you were my boyfriend."  
  
"Well you deserved the support," Oliver replied, squeezing her hand. "And if it hadn't been for you, I would have spent the whole year worrying about quidditch. I'm glad I spent my last year at Hogwarts with you and Katie and even Davies rather than in my room planning quidditch plays."  
  
Emma laughed. "Well I doubt that any of this is going to really take you away from quidditch. You do still have the big match with Slytherin coming up and I know you're going to win the cup."  
  
"The cup! The match!" Oliver shouted. "What am I doing? I should be planning strategy and . . ."  
  
Emma stopped walking and stood in front of Oliver. "Before you go crazy, can you spend one evening focused on me?"  
  
Oliver wrapped his arms around her and whispered. "I think that would be an acceptable strategy." 


End file.
